Heavenly Blue
by neongenesisimpacts
Summary: Five years have passed since monsterkind ascended to the surface. Ambassador Frisk Dreemurr has found themself on the cusp of peace between humans and monsters. However, things change when two secretive organizations begin to threaten an already fragile world. Can the Kingdom of Monsters protect what they love most without falling to the dark? This Arc: Flowey meets his parents.
1. Prologue: The Edge of Time

"_A steady stream of refugees moved towards the capital. Most of the monsters quickly moved past the shrine, but a few stopped and shared updates with us; a panicked passerby said that Snowdin has already been cleared of life, and that the Dog Corps had fallen. Another even suggested that the entire forest had been set fire to and Undyne with it, although I doubt that story is credible. Regardless, it was clear that remaining to the back of here was no longer an option for survival. However, the intuitive among us knew better. If this truly is to be our end, then there was nowhere to run._

_I've never seen the shrine so full of monsters before. One mother, somehow managing to speak about the details through her sobs, told me about how she watched the angel slaughter her husband who had stayed behind to protect her. Another told me, with curses under his breath, how he had hoped to eat with his friends from the capital at Grillby's before some poor lad whose sister had gone missing encouraged them to evacuate. Shortly before writing this, I was approached by a Loren who asked me if a star is coming. I confided in them the story that had been repeated to me since my birth: 'There is a prophecy. The Angel... The One Who Has Seen The Surface... They will return. And the underground will go empty.' They grew excited at the prospect of leaving with a real star, and I couldn't help but smile. Am I cruel? Maybe. Though adversity is the pathway to the stars. Even if the heavens fall, I serve the Delta Rune to the very end. After all, who am I to stand in the way of the will of the universe? Maybe now monsters can finally know freedom._

_The passage of monsters outside our door has stopped. Aside from Loren, who grows more excited by the minute, quiet begins to settle in the shrine before we all start to panic. Eventually we all too will fall to silence. It's clear that our time has finally come."_

\- Mother Peapeck, Head Priestess of the Waterfall Shrine

From her final diary entry dated May 7th, 2115. Ascension Eve.

* * *

It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining though the yellow stained-glass windows of the throne room, casting ethereal portraits of a long-gone freedom on the throne of the now disposed-king. From the barrier room up ahead, birds could be heard, and a soft, slow breeze could be felt as air filtered through the narrow corridor to the outside. Every so often, the breeze would spike, rustling the golden flowers and grass that covered the floor. The air smelled of pollen and of the dust of fallen monsters. Smells all too familiar to the angel of death, Frisk Dreemurr.

Frisk sat sideways in Asgore's throne, their back against the right arm of the chair and legs dangling over the side. With a smug expression across their face, they stared at the demon who now stood at the edge of the flower bed. Their left hand gripped the red and dusty Real Knife, its own color exaggerated somewhat from the ketchup that still dripped from the end. There was no need to hold it anymore, but gripping the plastic handle to the most devastating weapon the Underground had ever known made them feel powerful. Once again, a 13-year old had taken down an entire kingdom. Once again, there was no one in the entire cave that stood a chance at stopping them. The monsters who had once fought an ancient war on a global scale had been bested by a child in less than a day. By this point, Frisk could do little more than regard their mortal struggle as literal child's play.

In front of the Creamcup-flanked throne stood Chara, motionless, arms to the side of the clean green and yellow sweatshirt they always appeared in, in contrast to Frisk's often absolute mismatch of clothes. In all the runs they had completed together, Frisk had never seen them move very much outside of battle, and they certainly never dropped the Stepford smile that always defined their face. Frisk had gotten used to their presence inside of them. However, aside from the commentary they sometimes provided, their thoughts remained a mystery even as the pair continued to reap life across the infinite. At first, Frisk was the same, quiet and unemotional. Stoic except for brief moments when their own rage came through. But after so many countless genocides, their expression now had grown to something much more sadistic and twisted. It didn't matter who stood in their way. Be it monster or human, they only wanted to destroy, to kill, to obliterate anything that stood between them and the path of the absolute.

"Fitting, right?" Frisk finally spoke with their now-trademark smugness in their voice, shrugging as they brought the knife to their sides "It's like I'm the true Monarch of the Underground now."

At first, Chara showed no intention of responding. Very rarely did Chara ever retort any of Frisk's quips unless it was a serious situation. So, Frisk was understandably surprised when, as they moved to speak again, Chara opened their mouth.

"Frisk. What is it that you _want_?"

Their startingly direct question caused Frisk to sit up in Asgore's throne. "Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Chara paused before answering. "Is power what you truly…want? Together, we've destroyed countless universes. We've freed billions from the condemnation of life. And you've become the most powerful being in existence. We've eradicated beyond all measure and become exceedingly strong. But I sense…I sense that you are not satisfied."

Frisk held their puzzled look before sinking in Asgore's velvet throne to lean back and look at the ceiling. Above them, the stained-glass windows bearing the royal standard stared back, tinting an otherwise gray room with a golden light. A cloud passed over the vent exposing New Home to the outside, casting a shadow over the entire room. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it too much. Killing monsters, watching them struggle before I eventually end their miserable existence, it's been satisfying from the beginning. I've thought that what I've always wanted is power, but…"

They let their voice trail off, their thoughts echoing off the rafters of the empty throne room. What Frisk _wanted? _It was hard to define. What Frisk had always wanted was to escape, to regain control of their life when it felt like they had none. Killing, torturing, maiming, it had all been a means to an end of becoming absolutely drunk on the sensation of power. Power was insulating. The world had proven time and time again that the person that controls the most power might as well as control how the world spins. Everyone else, the weak, the feeble, the poor, could do little but spin along. Frisk had long watched the powerless struggle against the powerful and regarded it as an exercise in futility. And now, Frisk was the one who stood at the Gates of Judgement as the one who held the world in their hands. The feeling was immensely gratifying, but Frisk still found themselves extending their free hand towards the ceiling, as if to reach out and grab something more.

They closed their hand into a fist. "Chara. What I want isn't just power. I want…to rule. I want to dominate the world and become the one who dictates the course of history." They sat up again and stood up out of the chair, clearing their visage of dust before walking within arms' length of Chara. "Asgore was the king of an entire kingdom who blindly followed him and his will. Someone like me, someone like _us_ would be able to do whatever we wanted to this world. Not just in the underground, but in the human world as well! No one would be able to stop us! We could rule from the throne and make the world into whatever we wanted. After all, what good is power without any one to use it on?"

Chara stared back at their shadow, taking pause at Frisk's answer before letting their red eyes flare. The immediate flash and steady glow from Chara's bright red eyes illuminated the black void that Frisk suddenly found themselves surrounded by. They had grown so accustomed to seeing the end of the world that they were unflinched by the demon's actions.

Chara responded in their trademark monotone. "I see. After so many resets, I was puzzled as to why you continued to have such a strong desire to destroy all over again. But everything makes sense now."

Frisk chuckled, closing their eyes as they soaked in the words of their accomplice. "So we're in agreement then?"

In a rare move, Chara extended their hand, expression unchanged as they continued to speak. "Yes, it is settled. I will use our power to reset this world and ensure our dominance. You've already finished it once, so you will have an advantage. Use it. If you wish to rule over monster and man, find a way to get through the Underground. At that end of that story, I will be there, waiting for you once again. I am certain that we will be the most powerful beings the world has ever known."

Frisk extended out their free hand without a second thought. "Deal. Us together, we can do anything." Chara's eyes turned wide and dark and their smile grew along their face. Frisk couldn't help from give a corrupted smirk at the anticipation. Any sane person should have been frightened, or terrified even by Chara's nightmare-inducing expression. But in front of their best Friend, Frisk found that they couldn't bring themselves to enjoy their horror tactics any less. They gripped Chara's hand tighter as they brought their knife to their chest, the blade pointed in the direction of their own SOUL. There would be no pain. Death, after all, only lasts an instant.

"Right. We'll be together forever."


	2. Table of Contents

AN: The table of contents will be updated as the story is! Chapter titles are subject to change without notice. Also, chapters in italics are not yet published.

**Table of Contents**

1\. Prologue: The Edge of Time - Frisk and Chara make a deal.

2\. (Table of Contents)

* * *

**Arc 1: The United Nations**

The leaders of The Kingdom of Monsters travel to London to participate in a special conference designed to finally (and formally) end the war between humans and monsters. But before they get the chance to, the conference is stopped by a group claiming to stand for true equality between humans and monsters. When the future of the United Nations and the safety of everyone is threatened, the monsters are forced to act to keep this shadowy new group from doing any more damage.

3\. Tactics - Training Day with Queen Willow. Frisk and Chara prepare for their big day.

4\. Party Favors - The Undergang makes their way to the conference, but isn't so warmly received when they get there. Frisk tries to open up.

_5\. _Peace in Our Time - Everyone reunites at the conference and savors five years of hard work. Asgore makes the case for peace between humans and monsters.

_6\. _Toil and Trouble - The conference is attacked by terrorists, and the group's mettle is tested when a new magic user appears on the scene.

_7\. _Dusk Falls - Reeling from the effects of the last attack, the Undergang tries to make sense of the tragedy and come up with a plan for counterattack.

8\. Resolve - Part 1 - The counterattack begins. Asgore and Undyne spring into action against Cauldron's forces.

9\. Resolve - Part 2 - Frisk and Willow continue to race towards St. Paul's Cathedral, but not before being stopped by Cauldron's strongest legate.

_10\. _The Day a Demon was Born, Part 1 - The battle for London reaches a climax. Toriel entrusts Sans with with the safety of their friends and Frisk finally faces off against the leader of Cauldron.

11\. The Day a Demon was Born - Part 2 - Something sinister rises from the ashes of battle.

12\. Before the Story - The Undergang heads home as they and the rest of the world are left to contemplate their brave new future. Sans and Frisk have a talk.

* * *

**Arc 2: Hotel Flowey**

"Dear pesky skeletons! My associates and I have taken over the Underground! The King and Queen are now permanent guests of my new kingdom. I dare you to find them if you can!"

Sans and Papyrus gotta find the Queen, and the Undergang has got to help! The group travels to Mt. Ebott to save the king and queen, but end up finding much more than they ever anticipated.

13\. Welcome to Hell, Sunshine - Chara recounts the circumstances in which they fell into the Underground.

14\. Until You Come to Me - Three days before. Chara and Frisk try to make peace with themselves and Flowey's inexplicable disappearance from the underground.

15\. Fateful Encounters - Past: Now combined, Chara and Asriel leave the underground and return to Camp Buckingham, with disastrous results. Present: Mysterious circumstances have summoned both Toriel and Asgore to the Underground, each for a reason unique to them. So you can only imagine their shock when they both end up meeting after a strange Earthquake changes everything they thought they knew about their former home.

16\. Intermission: Escape - Past: In light of her children's death, Toriel is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever when Vice Captain Grillby shows up at her door.


	3. Tactics

"_It had long been accepted that the crown, while not a stranger to the divine right once afforded to them in antiquity, had no real connection to God or the spiritual realm. Even Queen Alexandria I, leader of the kingdom during the Restoration, tried to distance herself from the role she played in the Church of England. However, her daughter, Queen Alexandria II, found herself in the company of the British mythology when she was revealed to command magic powers early in her reign. Her display of magic after the Ascension proved to be integral in building support for the Kingdom of Monsters and the future magicians of the European Union. Furthermore, her compassion towards the gifted ensured that magic would always have a place among the British, even as the rest of world proved slow to adapt to change._

\- The Most Noble Duke Clem Thompson, Ph.D. Professor of History at the University of Manchester

Published in his 2187 book: "Resurrection: The Return of the Monarchy"

* * *

**Five Years Later:**

_Buckingham Palace Gardens, London, England.  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 9:45 AM_

"Heir Presumptive Frisk Dreemurr, successor to The Kingdom of Monsters, the Duke of Ebott, and the so-called world's strongest human! Today will be the day you meet your match! I, Willow Elizabeth Alexandria II, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britian and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Sovereign Head of the Dominion, and Defender of the Faith will smite you right here! Prepare yourself to fight!"

"She's really getting into it today, isn't she?" Chara said, their spirit looking behind Frisk as they made a run for the thicker foilage of shrubs and trees in the back of the garden. Queen Willow, shedding her outer royal garments and revealing a set of workout clothes, materialized two shining orbs of yellow light and began to run after them, laughing manically as she took off at full speed towards Frisk. "A lot faster too."

"Doesn't really help me if I can't get to cover!" Frisk panted, jamming their back against the rough trunk of a large Silver Maple. The first of several bullets hit a tree in front of them, tearing off the bark that covered the unfortunate target and causing the tree to rustle violently. "I'll let her get a little closer, and…"

"You're not going to be able to draw your sword on me time, Frisk! I came prepared!" Queen Willow yelled, catching up to the thicket that Frisk had taken refuge in. Her bright yellow SOUL and bullet orbs that followed her shined like a flashlight in the shade of the trees. She couldn't find exactly where they were hidden, but she knew it had to be close. Only a couple of trees were big enough to hide a person - let alone a teenager. She sat quiet for a second, listening intensely for the sound of breathing, panting, anything that might give her an upper hand. But the hustle and bustle of her own city was to her own detriment.

"Tch. I guess I raised this city _too_ well." Sneering, she sent her orbs out to the first tree ahead of her, one on each side of its trunk, and canvassed the back with bullets. Not seeing any movement, she continued tree by tree, slowly closing in on the old maple where Frisk was hiding. "You can't run forever! This garden is finite and I _will_ find you!

"She's coming Frisk! Maybe in three more rounds or so. Willow is just letting her bullet orbs do the searching."

Frisk, let go a glimmer of a smile before responding to Chara. "Which means, if I can get past them, we can maybe catch her off guard! She won't be expecting us to attack if we can feint her's!"

Chara's spirit continued to peer around the tree. "She'll be here next. You ready to get Frisky?"

Frisk's smile evolved into a smirk. God, how they hated that. "Ready as I'll ever be, Stabby"

"Frisk! You know how I-Two…One!"

With a quick motion, Frisk placed their left hand on their katana, drawing it quickly and swinging in a wide arc to cut Willow's bullet orbs into yellow sparkles. They used their momentum to pivot counterclockwise around the tree and with their hiding spot exposed, began a mad dash towards a shocked-looking Willow. Her expression quickly flashed to one of concern before she returned to her confident self.

"Careful Frisk, she's drawing something!"

As quickly as Frisk had drawn their sword, Queen Willow reached behind her and produced an antique Colt Python. It took all Frisk had to slow their momentum and hold their sword up directly to their face to stop her first shot, the Katana vibrating as the soul bullet hit it and splintered into sparkles.

"A gun? Really?" Frisk yelled in shock as they started in a broad arc around the sharpshooting princess. "How was I supposed to prepare for that?

"You weren't love, that's the point! I told you that you weren't going to be able to draw your sword on me! Now, have at me! I won't give you any quarter! After all, don't you carry a handgun? You should be fine!"

"Yeah, with LIVE bullets! I would never draw it on you!"

"Your loss, Frisk!" Willow cackled as she began to fire off more bullets in succession.

Chara interjected, keeping up with Frisk's body while keeping their eyes on the now cackling queen. "Frisk, I'll help you out! These soul bullets don't move as fast as regular ones, I should be able to give you guidance. Get down for this one!"

A bullet whizzed passed Frisk head, the wind trailing behind it and rustling their hair. "Alright Chara, I'm counting on you! Don't let me get too beat up"

What came next was a series of jumping, ducking (and rolling) motions as Chara called out orders to Frisk and Queen Willow tried unsuccessfully to strike any part of Frisk's body. Despite her relative accuracy when Frisk was standing still, it was clear she hadn't had much practice with a gun.

"Eventually, we've got to stop running in circles, Chara. I'm thinking of just rushing her and taking whatever shot she gives me. What's our HP?"

"We're undamaged. 20 out of 20."

"Good." Frisk smiled. After Queen Willow's last shot moved past Frisk's left ear, Frisk once again pivoted for the Queen and made straight for her, closing the distance in just a few great steps. Willow's face, scrunched up from a mixture of focus and frustration turned to shock as Frisk took not one but two bullets to the arm and one to their side. As each shot connected Frisk grimaced, but as the pain settled they were able to hold themselves steady to keep moving.

Frisk moved to swing their sword. "It's over Willow! Surrender!"

"Heh. Not bad for a pacifist ambassador. But your inclination to take risks will be your undoing! Don't be so cheeky!" Willow said, gripping her python with both of her hands and using it to block the downward arc of Frisk's sword. The ringing sound of metal striking metal rang throughout the Garden, and Frisk noticed that even some of the attendants inside Buckingham Palace had moved to the window to see what the commotion about. Willow held firm as Frisk brought their sword down, bringing both into a deadlock.

"So, do you admit defeat now? Striking you from this distance would be easy. I'd rather not damage your soul any before the summit, especially since I know you're just now getting used to fighting with it."

"Well, I guess I can't help that I've already damaged your's, can I?" Willow chuckled, throwing a quick sideways glance to Frisk's Red SOUL before returning her focus to Frisk's magic-infused red eyes. "Where did you even learn to dodge like that? And I know soul bullets aren't as powerful as the real thing but dang, how are you even walking right now?"

Frisk held a focused expression but let a slight smile show as they responded to Willow. "Well, I've had a lot of practice at dodging magic, you could say. Five years of it, to be exact. You're not the hardest opponent I've faced."

Willow retorted. "The way I had you running around, I couldn't have been the easiest either!"

"Your bullets hurt! It's not like I still don't have feelings!"

The queen laughed, clearly enjoying herself maybe a little more than she should have. Frisk thought that maybe her sadistic tendencies come with the territory of being royalty. As Frisk was also royalty and not without…a few urges every now and then, they were hardly able to speak themselves. The last thing they needed was another thing for Chara to tease them over. "Give it up, Willow. Do you have anything else to say?"

"Maybe one more thing for the pacifist ambassador. For someone as seasoned as you, you're very easily distracted."

_Oh Shit._ Internally, Frisk called to Chara. "Fuck me, Chara, what is she talking about?"

"Well Frisk, it looks she got the slip on you. Sorry buddy, she snuck up on me too."

"Some sort of lookout you were. Good to know I can count on my partner in crime."

"Good to know _my_ partner in crime depends on me so much! I'm flattered."

Behind Frisk were Willow's re-materialized yellow bullet orbs, both trained directly on Frisk. Their mind began racing with possible options. Could they break the deadlock and strike Willow before she fired? Could she respond in that short of a time? Frisk briefly considered turning around to strike both of her orbs directly with their soul energy, but quickly disregarded that plan as it left their back exposed to Willow and her revolver. On the other side of the deadlock, Willow stayed quiet and smiled. She knew she had won.

Mockingly, she said "Give it up, Frisk. Do you have anything else to say?"

Frisk stayed silent for a while. After of a couple of seconds they exhaled and brought their sword down with a great force and then relaxed, forcing Willow to push Frisk's sword back up and breaking her guard in the process. They knocked Willow's pistol out of the way with a clang and threw the princess out of balance. Quickly, Frisk turned to face the soul orb to their left and started to charge their SOUL's energy through their sword, making it glow bright red. "Yeah! I'll take my chances!"

But before they could fire, both were stopped. Frisk and Willow were brought to their knees, their SOULs turning blue as they came under the influence of intense gravity. Frisk dropped their sword as they thrust their hands down to regain their balance. Willow, who was still off-balance from Frisk's previous attack, fell onto her bottom and let out an "ouch!" at the sudden fall.

Both Chara and Frisk could tell from the weight exactly who had intervened. "Well, if it isn't the comedian and the spaghetti factory themselves."

Frisk, out loud, muttered under their breath "I really wish you would call them something different."

"Heh. Now we're even for earlier."

"well now kids, don't you think this battle has gone on long enough?" Sans announced winking at both royals as he and his brother walked from the palace. "after all, both of you have big days today. you're gonna need all your energy to SAVE the world."

"ABSOLUTELY HUMANS! HOW CAN WE HAVE WORLD PEACE IF YOU TWO ARE BOTH HERE FIGHTING! YOU HAVE TO ACT LIKE TRUE MASCOTS AND LEAD BY EXAMPLE!" Papyrus interjected, grinning proudly and striking a glorious pose as if to show off their radiating eminence as the perfect mascot. Both did indeed look nicer today, wearing the black and purple royal uniforms supplied for the day's ceremony as opposed to their usual causal clothes and battle armor. But Papyrus and Sans were still very much their selves. The two had appeared inexplicably within the gardens, and it hadn't taken long for Buckingham Palace's elite guards to respond, rifle sights lined up with the two skeletons who couldn't look less concerned.

"Sans! Pap! Guys!" Frisk shot a strained look at the palace guards who were drawing closer as they spoke, "we were just training! No need to be alarmed here!" Frisk picked themselves up from the ground and looked towards Willow to help them out, their SOULs still blue. "We weren't going to hurt each other, promise."

"WELL THEN, WHY IS YOUR SOUL DAMAGED? WERE YOU HIT?"

Willow, with a wave of her hand, called off her guards, who exchanged chatter through their headsets before saluting the queen and returning to their posts. Face beet red, she sat up and pouted at Frisk as she reluctantly responded to Papyrus. "Well, only a little."

* * *

_Buckingham Palace, London, England.  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 10:15 AM_

"Chara, is this really it? Can monsters finally live in peace now?" Frisk stared into the large mirror made available to them in one of Buckingham palace's many state guest rooms. They fiddled with the broach that attached the white cape emblazoned with the Deltarune onto their jacket as Chara watched from behind the mirror. Chara rested on the edge of the bureau and from their spirit world guided Frisk as they continued to adjust their clothes for the conference.

Frisk continued. "This is certainly the closest we've gotten, isn't it? I know it seems weird. The Sovereignty Crisis was only three years ago, and before that we spent so much time destroying…" they paused, not wanting to bring up the days of their previous genocide runs and memories that have become too heavy to bear. "…Even then, we have come a long way, haven't we? We've grown so much Chara. As people, as friends, as a world. Maybe everyone else is finally ready to admit they have too."

Chara sighed. "It's hard to believe that five years ago I would have insisted that none of these humans were worth saving. But somehow, I guess we've managed to build a future together. Color me shocked. I wonder how long we can keep this together."

"Them or us?"

"It's not like any of us are that well put together in the first place, and that's a little more literal for some of us." Chara shrugged and gave a nonchalant expression. It was true, as a disembodied spirit without a soul or a body, it wasn't as if they had a lot to worry about.

"Yeah well, being an ambassador kind of sucks, but at least I've gotten us this far. No one important has died, right?"

"Well, no one important to us. But still far less monsters than I thought. I guess we can't save everyone."

Frisk frowned. It was a hard lesson to come to terms with the fact that you couldn't protect everyone. Even thinking about one monster's death when their population was still in the tens of thousands was upsetting enough to often make them emotional. Letting one monster die after everything they had done felt like a condemnation of their own soul. But Toriel had told them to focus on what they could do, and on the people closest to them, a lesson Frisk tried often to repeat to themselves. Even though they were positive everyone was alive, it was comforting to count them up anyway, to recall their identities among the living as proof that Chara and them had changed. It was a reminder that five years of struggle had not all be for nothing. "Right. If we can all keep living together…"

Frisk let themselves trail off as they affixed the pin and began to look themselves over, thinking silently to themselves about the script for the quickly-approaching general conference. _The Treaty of London._ _A treaty to, at once, end the state of war between The Kingdom of Monsters and all the delegations of the United Nations. A declaration of the rights of both man and monster. First the General-Secretary will speak, and then…_

Their thinking was interrupted by Chara. "When you look at humanity, what do you see in them that inspires you? What compels you to fight for them like you do? It would be one thing to be doing this for the monsters, but Willow. Everyone. You act like you have a duty to this world. You don't have to do this, you know?"

Frisk stood up and straightened out their clothes before turning to face Chara's spirit in the real world, looking them dead in their eye. Chara's bored expression immediately perked up and their face reddened as Frisk gave them a focused, but soft stare. Chara was _not _used to Frisk staring them in the eye, or seeing them much at all, outside of the rare moments Frisk was in front of a mirror.

"W-what? You dummy! What are you staring at me for…? H-hey!"

Even knowing it was impossible, Frisk reached out to place their hand where Chara's would have sat. They closed their eyes for a second as they tried to imagine what holding their hand would feel like, their own taking a shape as if it meant to fit seamlessly around the grove of their best friend's. Words couldn't describe how much Frisk longed to feel Chara's warmth, how Frisk wished to embrace them as so much wished for over the countless resets and tears. They gave Chara a warm smile.

"_You_, silly!" Frisk teased, a little self-servingly. It was so nice to see Chara express themselves after spending so much time emotionless, even if that expression was pure embarrassment. "I have to keep doing my best. Until I've created a world where both of us can live in peace. Where we won't have to fight anymore. When we won't have to be alone anymore. I believe in that future, in a future where I can fulfill my promise and SAVE you. So, I can't give up yet. Not until I've done that." Frisk beamed at thoroughly flushed Chara before moving to retrieve their sword and communication link.

"Dummy! Y-You're disgusting, you know that? And, these goals of yours's, you're confident you can do it? With your power…?"

Frisk affixed their katana to their waist and walked to stand in front of Chara's spirit. "Yes. With _our _power, we definitely can. I meant what I said back then, when we decided to give this a chance. With our combined power, we can accomplish anything. Chara, this is it. We're finally about to reach our happy ending." Having finished having their fun with the flustered spirit, Frisk turned to move towards the door. Moving to head out into the hallway, they called back, "Anything else you want to add before we go?"

Chara hesitated. "I-if you insist, I do have one thing. You should really should wear a skirt more. It suits you."

If Chara was trying to get Frisk to blush, it worked.

* * *

AN: This chapter featured the debut of Willow! She's an important character for this arc and is meant to be Frisk's ally in Europe, so I hope that people grow to like her. I put sooooooooo much work into researching the British monarchy and titles (I've never even been to London) so I hope I got everything close to right. Also, expect *much* more Charisk fluff to come, lol.


	4. Party Favors

_"Dear father,"_

_"How goes it back at home? Here in London, people still write letters, so I don't feel as bad sending you a pick-me-up about my time here the old-fashioned way. Even then, technology is so advanced here! You think that after five years I would be used to everything the surface had to offer, but every day in London I experience some sort of new tech that blows me away! How wild is that! The hotel even offered me a pen that writes itself!"_

_"Otherwise, living in London is okay. I thought I would be more lonely, with less monsters around and all, but living in the Monster District feels a little like home! I've made a ton of friends with some of the other kids here and we all go to school together in the city! I'm proud to announce that all of the kids seem nice so far, even if they have a lot of questions about how we look like cartoon characters. The adults have mostly been kind too. We get a lot of stares on the street, but we all travel together to keep each other safe! I know you would love to know that we're all looking out for each other here. _

"_There's going to be a big conference here next week to finally end the War. And do you know who's coming? Frisk Dreemurr! yes, *that* Frisk Dreemurr! I'm know you probably don't want to hear this, but everyone's so excited to see the human again! they're so hot! They're supposed to visit the Monster Quarter while they're here and I hope I can get their autograph! aaaaaaaaaa!"_

Valerie Vulkin, Senior at the London Academy for Monsters  
Addressed Monday, April 22nd, 2120

* * *

_Buckingham Palace, London, England.  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 10:30 AM_

The halls of the palace were quiet, with most of the administrative staff having left to attend to matters at Pendragon Palace for the conference. The ornate decorations and centuries of British opulence on display were more than the monsters could have ever imagined having in their own home, and certainly more than Frisk had seen in their life. They had just exited the state room to find Toriel approaching them from down the hall, with Sans and Papyrus talking among themselves not too far being.

Once recognizing Frisk from down the hall, Toriel excitedly approached, pulling out her phone "My child! You look so stunning in your formalwear! We must get a picture together so I have something to put up at home!"

Frisk chuckled, looking shyly away before being yanked into an embrace by their large goat mom. They couldn't help but giggle as their mom continued to dote on them. "Hey! Not too hard! It took forever for me to get ready this morning! Okay, on three! One! Two!-"

Toriel, grin as wide as ever, snapped the picture early and for her efforts was awarded a candid picture of her dear child. Frisk opened their mouth to protest, but decided against it as their mom reveled in the fun they were having. I am sorry, Frisk. You look so nice today! It makes me so proud to see you come so far. Are you nearly finished with preparations for today?"

"Just about! I'm assuming Asgore has gone ahead already to the palace?"

"ON TIME AND ON SCHEDULE!" Papyrus struck a pose as Sans and him caught up with Toriel. He began to boast about the details. "YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT! ASGORE WAS SO INTENT ON SLEEPING LATE, UNDYNE BASICALLY HAD TO SUPLEX HIM AWAKE! THAT'S WHEN I, THE CULMINATION OF YEARS OF CULINARY GENIUS, HAD TO MAKE SURE HIS MAJESTY WAS FED AND DRESSED TO FACE THE DAY! NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus' revelry in himself, despite being something Frisk experienced often, never failed to make them giggle.

Sans jumped in. "that's my bro. dealing and dazzling as always. it's only been a year and people are already calling you the backbone of the empire."

Toriel offered a gentle smile to Papyrus as she continued. "Captain Undyne accompanied His Majesty to Pendragon Palace earlier, so that he could prepare for the speech. However, I feel perfectly safe knowing I have the support of my *snicker* skeletons."

"and you don't have to worry tori. Anyone that tries to mess with us will be in for a bone-chilling time."

Frisk and Chara collectively groaned as Toriel and Sans winked at each other before laughing. It was clear they had planned this just to see everyone's reactions. Papyrus took a shocked face before returning to his usual composure "I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S BONE-CHILLING, BROTHER! HAVING TO LISTEN TO YOUR AWFUL PUNS! THAT ONE WASN'T EVEN THAT GOOD! DON'T YOU EVER GET TIRED OF MAKING SKELETON PUNS?"

Sans shrugged. "don't ever get tired of being a clown. and besides, it didn't have to be good to make everyone smile a bit. after all, it seems like our lady of the day was entertained." Toriel blushed at the complement and began to respond before she was interrupted by another member of royalty who was laughing down the hallway with her retainers in tow.

"I'm sorry to cut in but, forget the puns! A cape, really? And I thought the British regalia was overdone!" Queen Willow came down the other end of the all flanked by a man and woman that Frisk had never seen before. Queen Willow had decided on a formal dress for the conference that was modest compared to the regal uniforms being worn by the monsters, making all of them seem stuffy by comparison. "You look like an anime hero!" she exclaimed.

Frisk's face flushed in embarrassment. "C-capes are cool! They're flashy and awesome and have been worn by monster royalty for over a millennia! Plus, I get to do cool maneuvers with it like this!" They swung their right arm back to flash their cape and drew their sword with their left, striking a pose that could only be compared to the ancient portraits of old European generals that decorated the castle walls. Their silliness caused Queen Willow to laugh even more. Sans shook his head as Papyrus beamed at Frisk's display.

"BROTHER!" Papyrus demanded "THEY MUST START LETTING ME WEAR A CAPE AS WELL! THINK OF HOW COOL I WOULD LOOK! HOW CAN A MASCOT AS COOL AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS EVER WALK AROUND WITHOUT INSPIRING THE WORLD WITH MY GRANDEUR!?"

Sans chuckled. "sorry paps, they're only for royalty. and the captain of the royal guard. but if it means anything, you're already a cool dude without it." He shot a soft, affirming look at his brother, who returned it with stars in his eyes.

"You two are a riot, two true bags of bones!" Queen Willow finished teasing them before straightening up and introducing her retainers. Papyrus and Frisk held back their groans. "Everyone, this is my knight, Sir Justin Greenwood, the Duke of Margate. And to my right, this lovely lady is one of Britian's finest spies! Like you see in those historic James Bond films! Her name is Lady Collette Andover, the Marquees of Dover. They're acting as protection and my personal assistants today. If you need anything, just call them."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Frisk Dreemurr, Heir Presumptive and Royal Ambassador to King Asgore on behalf of the Kingdom of Monsters. To my right is Lady Toriel, the Dutchess of Home. Behind us is Sir Sans Serif, the Duke of Snowdin and our Chief Intelligence Officer, and Colonel Papyrus Serif, Chief of the Monster Royal Guard and the Marquees of Snowdin. They're my escorts, but also my friends!" Frisk smiled as they extended their hand to greet Duke Greenwood and Lady Andover, who bowed before returning the gesture.

Justin, a tall, skinny man who couldn't be much older than Willow, was the friendlier and more open of the two, beaming a smile at the Monster delegation. His unassuming and easygoing demeanor left Frisk feeling eased as he followed in their footsteps and stuck a pose as he introduced himself. "Consider me charmed! We can leave the titles back at the palace. People around these parts just call me Justin. It's an honor to be able to work with the pacifist ambassador themselves! I feel like I'm meeting a celebrity!"

Collette, a small petite woman in her mid-20s, gave Justin a judging glare before focusing again on the visiting party. While not at all cold towards the monsters, she offered a glare fitting for an intelligence officer, one that Frisk recognized from dignitaries around the world who were cautious of a human representing a kingdom of monsters. Her slight smile as she formally stepped forward and shook Frisk's hand suggested she took her duties as an escort seriously. "Heir Dreemurr, nice to make your acquaintance. As Her Majesty says, I'm part of her personal protection team today. Welcome to Britain and the European Union." Pausing to shoot a glare at Justin, who smiled and winked in response, she continued. "While I would love to chat more, our rides to the palace are ready and we must keep to our schedule today. Are you ready to depart?"

* * *

After the brief exchange of pleasantries, they all started down the long hallway connecting them to the portico where their rides to Pendragon Palace awaited, splitting up into two posh transports for their ride to the palace. Sans and Frisk accompanied Willow and Collette, while Papyrus and Toriel went with Justin. After some melodramatic words from Papyrus on separation and loss, Frisk's other passengers initially remained quiet as the car moved through the tight London streets lined with onlookers curious about the country's exotic guests. Mixed in with the throngs of humans were monsters from London's own monster colony, a space organized by Willow and Frisk just a year prior to give monsters experience with living somewhere other than Grand Ebott City. To see humans and monsters standing in the same crowd together, even if it was just for a parade, was truly a historic sight.

Willow waved at the window as she examined the throngs who had gathered to watch. "I've never seen such a crowd for a procession before. Not since my own coronation five years ago. But then again, there's still plenty of people who have never seen a monster before, let alone a human royal wearing the standard for a kingdom full of them. I don't think the world could have imagined that kind of irony."

"Oh? Even with the monster settlement here in London? It's been very popular with vacationing monsters back home." Frisk said, genuinely curious but also basking in their own accomplishments while they could. They could have sworn they heard Chara scoff in the background.

"Sure, there's a monster here or there. But they mostly keep to tour groups and the enclave, making seeing them difficult. We also have to provide extra security for them so they tend to stay close to each other. There were some in my staff who hadn't even…" She trailed off, becoming lost in thought before turning to face Frisk. Willow was normally energetic, and her boundlessness often reflected in her voice and how expressive she tended to be. However, she spoke to Frisk with an aura of seriousness they weren't used to. "You know, I don't think I've ever asked. How did you become the ambassador for monsters, as a human?"

Frisk took in the soft hazel of Willow's eyes, contemplating how to respond without giving away too much information. Five years of getting asked the same question by countless people had led Frisk to give as safe an answer as they could: While Frisk was in the mountains for a solo hiking trip, they went to explore the cave and fell in, only to be saved and cared for by the monsters. But Frisk felt a little insincere saying the same to Willow, even with the ace detectives Collette and Sans in the car.

Chara spoke up, jokingly, to provide emotional support. "Why hesitate? You could always just tell her the truth."

"Pshhh. Like I would even dare to do that in front of Sans."

"Assuming he doesn't already know. Knowing our comedian, he's probably just waiting for the punchline."

Frisk did their best to force back a giggle, but ended up letting a smile show on their face. Their reaction to a joke that only they could hear served to puzzle everyone else in the car.

"Uhhhhh, Frisk? Is it a particularly funny answer?" Willow asked.

Frisk blushed, waving their hands around as they tried to find an excuse. "N-no! It's not like that! It's just…the monsters in the underground were so funny! Everyone was so unique and different and it was a lot of fun to get to know everyone."

Collette raised an eyebrow before responding in confusion. "Enough fun to get you to stay?"

Frisk felt their blush deepen before they decided to bring the conversation back on topic. "Anyway! It's simple really. My time in the Underground, my experiences with the monsters, even in the short time we spent together, it was clear that the Underground was a place I belonged. They wanted me to be a part of their home." Frisk look down, folding their hands as they stopped to appreciate just how much their life had changed on that fateful day. "When I think about it, I can't remember ever having a place or a people I could feel safe in. I'd had to struggle for so long. It was hard for me to accept that life was anything else. But when I fell into the Underground, I found a place where I could heal. Somewhere I could be a better person than who I was. So, I let the Dreemurrs adopt me."

Frisk continued. The entire focus of the car was on them now. Even Sans, who had spent the ride sleeping until then, woke up to listen to what Frisk had "When I fell, I was in…a really dark place. I had given up on the world, and especially on myself. But the monsters helped restore that determination within my heart. They gave me a reason to keep going." Frisk hesitated, feeling both themself and Chara choke a little on the thought of Asriel's sacrifice. "They taught me that even now, it's still worth it to have hopes and dreams."

"aww kid, you're too kind!" Sans was spread out over his half of the seat, his skeleton arm slung over the headrest. His position gave off the impression that he was much lazier than he actually was. "and can you blame them? us monsters, we kind of grow on people. or in the case of skeletons like me, in them. plus, the kid had nowhere to go, no home to return to. what were we going to do? send them home with a burlap sack and a photograph? staying with was an us easy solution."

Willow, for once, looked uncharacteristically serious as she took in the details of Frisk's story. It appeared Sans' attempt to defuse the tension in the car hadn't helped. "I…I didn't know. I could never have imagined. I'm sorry for asking! It's just that, your past is just such a mystery. No record of you exists anywhere before five years ago. It's like you just appeared out of nowhere. Maybe, no, especially because of that, you've done well to make it this far Frisk, heir to the Platystemon Throne."

"heh. gosh your highness, I'm over here just trying to breathe a little. but leave it to a princess to make it even more stuffy in here."

"That's _Queen, _mind you! Just because I'm young doesn't automatically make me this cute little princess! And you don't even have lungs! Do you even breathe? And now that I think about it, why do you even have a nose hole? What's the point?

"the point? of course I need a nose hole! how else am I supposed to be so nosy?"

Collette finally let a snicker out, earning an offended look from Willow. "Lady Collette! Do you mind filling me in on what's so funny about all of this?"

Collette tried her best to keep herself together, but she couldn't help but smile as she bantered with the Queen. "Sorry your highness, it's just, I've known you for so long, and well, you certainly haven't been shy to indulge in the more theatrical parts of the job."

"What!? Are you saying I'm overindulgent? I'll have you know I spend far less than some of the other nobles do! And is it not a queen's job to be an example to her people, and that requires the upmost in manners…!

"Admit it! You just love being being a large ham! I'd bet you'd wear a cape too if you could~!"

"T-take that back right now! I order you!"

Collette and Willow's bickering lightened everyone's mood at their expense, and Frisk relaxed slightly as it seemed everyone was going to manage to get along, and that their secret would be safe another day.

Chara commented on everyone's silliness. "Golly Frisk! I can't believe you told her the truth. How admirable! I was so certain you would throw her off. You'd better thank Sans for that save later. It would be problematic if any other world government started to probe into our past, especially since we've already got a skeleton crawling on our back."

"Sans saving us. Who would have thought? And nah. I like Willow. Doesn't she feel like she'd fit right in with us? She's even a magic user."

Chara scoffed, but decided to give Frisk one small concession. "Meh. Human are humans. But I guess she's fine."

* * *

_Pendragon Palace, London, England  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 10:40 AM_

"Announcing Her Majesty the Queen! Following her is the Heir Presumptive to the Kingdom of Monsters!"

The large ornate doors of the palace opened and gave way to Pendragon Palace's stately Grand Hall, filled with humans of all backgrounds who had assembled to usher in a new era of human-monster relations. Members of the Queen's Guard snapped to attention at the doorway, creating a path for the royals of both nations to follow from the doorway into the Assembly Room across the hall. Queen Willow in her flowing dress led the way, flanked by her suit-clad retainers that scanned the crowd for anyone of note that had gathered in the lobby. Behind them, Papyrus escorted Frisk as Sans walked with Toriel.

"Ugh." Willow said, letting her displeasure show plainly on her face. "The plenary begins in half an hour. And there's still so many people in here. Duke Greenwood, you informed the guests that I have no intention of speaking with anyone until after the ceremony, correct?"

Justin replied "Yes, your highness. But, can you blame them for asking? With all of these dignitaries here? There's no way in the world anyone would miss this chance at diplomacy."

"Oh yeah? Feels more like a chance at brown-nosing if you ask me."

In every corner of the spacious hall were delegates from every member state of the United Nations, creating a perfect breeding ground for politics to play out among the world's elites. To an onlooker, people exchanging pleasantries over h'ordouvres might seem standard for an event like this. But just beneath the surface, it was clear to all the players involved that every word spoken was really part of a larger calculated move, where every intention was followed by an ulterior motive. This was a place where deals were made, the fates of millions were decided, and where secret deals and political maneuvering were commonplace among those who wished to stay relevant. All innocuously occurring over wine glasses and plates of cheese.

Someone like Queen Willow, who reveled in being direct and transparent about her politics, _hated_ spaces like this. Her egalitarian approach to running her country was indicative of her Justice-imbued SOUL, and to participate in a social scene where this sort of scheming and shady political maneuvering were paramount disgusted her. As the Queen of the United Kingdom, she realized that there were times when fighting the social war was a necessary evil. But, the power imbued in that same title spared her from having to deal with the worst of it. Today, she wanted to ensure the monsters were granted the same privilege.

"Justin? Collette? Command the guard to ensure that the path to the conference room stays clear for me and my guests."

They both bowed and responded in unison. "Yes, your highness."

"And Collette? One more thing. About those terrorists."

Collette gave a confident smile. "Our security forces are already positioned to take care of them. We've anticipated every route of entry, and by our estimation, they're using guns that date back to World War III, at least. They shouldn't be a problem for our modern security forces."

Toriel spoke up. "Lady Collette, was it? We're used to being…the center of attention at these sort of events. Whatever comes at us, we should be able to handle it. But we appreciate the extra support."

"yeah, your highness. when it comes to protecting the people closest to us, you could say our defenses are bone solid." Sans added, causing Toriel to grin and for Papyrus to offer an annoyed expression in response.

Willow giggled. "I guess I don't have much to worry about then. Still, the well-being of my people comes first. Don't let your guard down." She turned and gave her two retainers a concerned smile before they both left to attend to their duties.

The room slowly began to return to volume as Justin began to give orders to the guard and the crowd, but it was just quiet enough to give everyone in the party enough of a chance to hear the comments of the other attendees.

"Those two are…actually walking skeletons…? Is that the best they have? Did Halloween come early this year?" said one woman in attendance to a burly man dressed in a three-piece suit.

"…can't believe she decided to show up to this in these clothes. She looks like her wardrobe has never had an update. As if a human-goat thing doesn't already look weird enough"

"_These_ are the people the queen decided to bring into her graces? Is she daft?"

"Well you know, every woman has her needs. That human over there looks just her age too. Maybe a package deal?"

"I thought the monsters were supposed to look more human than this. How is the world ever going to accept them?"

Whispers and murmurs about Pendragon's new visitors could be heard throughout the hall, and between the rudeness of the guests and the lights from the media that was allowed into the palace, there was little more the group could do than just continue to walk through and listen without making a scene. Sans kept his hands in his pockets and his eyes closed as he walked next to Toriel, who's centuries of royal training and practice were clear in her grace under scrutiny on the red carpet, even if she wasn't royalty anymore. Frisk balled their hands into fists and bit their lip as they walked down the aisle, fuming to Chara about every nobleman and delegate they passed.

"Ugh. Typical responses I would expect that from the people that'll say in public that they support monsters. I guess it's still popular to hate on monsters in private. It's 2120, Chara! And people still have no shame. Look at the woman over there. Obviously if you're whispering to your friend with your hand over your mouth, it's clearly nothing good. Honestly, if you're dying to tell anyone anything, why not message them? It'll save you the trouble of looking like a jerk at an international conference. And over there, there's the delegate from the New American Republic! We're supposed to be in travel negotiations next week! Ugh, the lot of them are so unprofessional."

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault you decided you wanted to be all goody-goody and go 'SAVE the World!' on me. Isn't this want you want to do? I, personally want nothing to do with diplomacy junk you insist on doing."

Frisk sarcastically rolled their eyes. "Wow Chara, such a bastion of support you've been for me so far! I should be honored to be taking such sage advice from a wise spirit like you. Clearly it would be better if we just murdered all of them instead."

"There's still time, you know? You are carrying your sword! It would be sooooo easy to just take a couple of SOULs and demolish the place. =). I doubt anyone would miss these garbage humans anyway."

Frisk laughed. "Wouldn't you like that? You know humans can't absorb human souls. And unfortunately, I think some of us have other plans."

Papyrus, never one to let the curiosity of others remained unsated, turned to face the crowd as the group neared the doors to the assembly hall. "HUMANS! DO NOT BE AFRAID! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, KNOWS THAT YOU ARE OVERWHELMED, FRIGHTENED, AND QUITE POSSIBLY STUNNED BY OUR BRILLIANCE. BUT DO NOT WORRY! MY FRIENDS AND I ARE AMONG SOME OF THE BEST MONSTERS AROUND, AND WE ARE SURE TO ASTONISH AND PLEASE WITH OUR FANTASTICAL FEATS OF FANCY! SO DO NOT BE SHY TO APPROACH US! NYEH HEH HEH!"

With all eyes turned towards Papyrus, He used his magic to surround himself with tiny bones, and then arranged them all in the shape of a small flower, each bone falling in place as it finished a revolution around his wide torso. It seemed like they were being held in place by pure magic alone. He turned to the woman who had mentioned Sans and him to her husband, and between the column of guards, placed the flower in her trembling hands. Papyrus, even with his title as a Marquees, outranked many a noble in countries across the world. However, Frisk had known Papyrus to show more tenderness than many of the people they dealt with in their entire lives.

"THIS, MY LADY, IS FOR YOU! THINK OF IT AS A FLEETING GIFT FROM ME AS A SYMBOL OF OUR FRIENDSHIP." Papyrus stood up straight and softened his expression a bit, giving the now thoroughly flushed and humiliated noble a compassionate gaze before continuing with a lowered voice. "BEYOND OUR DIVERSITY, MONSTERS ARE CAPABLE OF GREAT KINDNESS. SO PLEASE DON'T BE SCARED OF DIFFERENCES."

Papyrus gave the lady a slight salute as if to wish her a good day, and as he spun around and joined the monsters, the same proud and triumphant grin that Papyrus is known for returning to his face as he cheerfully led the party into the assembly hall. The entire grand hall was completely quiet upon their exit. Many of the guests looking visibly shocked or embarrassed by their previous comments. But everyone could tell that the monsters were here to play ball, even if the world wasn't quite ready yet.

Sans raised his fist to bump with his brother. "you're the best, bro."

"OF COURSE! IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE WORLD RECOGNIZED MY BRILLIANCE! AFTER ALL, HOW COULD SOMEONE WITH A BROTHER LIKE YOU NOT BE AS FANTASTIC AS ME?"


	5. Peace in Our Time

_In Case You Missed It – The History of Monsters on the Surface:_

_We know not everyone's kept up with the news since the appearance of the monsters on the surface. Here's what you missed:_

_2115: Monsters emerge from Mt. Ebott near Clear Lake, CA. After several tense weeks, an agreement is reached with the Republic of Cascadia to situate a monster settlement on the San Francisco Peninsula. Tensions briefly arise from the forced relocation of thousands of humans living around Mt. Ebott and in the ruins of San Francisco. _

_2116: Grand Ebott City is formally established on the ruins of the former Sunset District. The Declaration of the Rights of Monsters is established and ratified between the monsters and Cascadia, granting them autonomy. The monsters use the magic of the CORE to quickly advance the construction of their society. _

_2117: The Sovereignty Crisis nearly plunges the Cascadia into civil war when anti-monster extremists assault Grand Ebott City and the heir to monsters, Frisk Dreemurr, goes missing. Fifteen monsters and nearly one hundreds humans die in skirmishes that eventually lead to the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Monsters and a peace treaty with Cascadia._

_2118: The Kingdom of Monsters is granted observer status within the United Nations. Cascadia and the Kingdom of Monsters sign a mutual defense pact and trade agreement, allowing for greater cooperation between both nations. The largest countries on the planet, the Chinese Federation, United States of Africa, and the European Union, all recognize the Kingdom of Monsters. _

_2119: The Anglo-Monster Friendship Treaty is ratified by the European Nations, clearing the way for a monster community to be established in London as a sign of friendship between the two nations. The rail link connecting Grand Ebott City to Mt. Ebott is completed._

_2120 is expected to be a momentous year in monster history as the country moves for full integration with the rest of the world's powers. Be sure to continue following The Guardian for updates on today's historic vote all day._

"_Special Report: Monsters Prepare to Sign the Treaty of London" from The Guardian, dated Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120._

* * *

_Pendragon Palace, London, England  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 10:45 AM_

Asgore turned from the menacing stack of papers at his desk and let his frown and furrowed brow expand into a wide smile as he saw the rest of the monsters enter the assembly hall. "Frisk! Sans! Everyone! You made it! And here we were starting to worry!"

Frisk sped down the main aisle of Pendragon's Palace's grand assembly hall to give a tight hug to Asgore, who, after giving a happy but startled grunt, returned Frisk's embrace in kind. To Asgore's left was Undyne, who was sitting in front of the desk designated for the Kingdom of Monsters. She had a video feed of Alphys displayed in front of her as she reviewed the day's schedule.

"Hardly Dad, you just left way early! I come to a lot of these conferences, there's no need to make sure you're first or anything. Plus, everyone else is in the lobby schmoozing and boozing. So, we can save the suplexing for later." Frisk shot a playful look at Undyne, who laughed and showed her trademark spiky grin in response.

"You know how it is kid, I have to make sure Asgore stays sharp! With all of these humans around, who knows what could happen? Plus, Asgore has to be in top shape for his important speech today!"

Asgore nervously chucked. "I think I'll be okay. I went over it with Sans last night and with Papyrus over my delicious Spaghetti breakfast – " He paused to wink at Papyrus, who flashed a thumbs up in response "- this morning. The world-famous pacifist ambassador even helped me write it! We've worked hard to prepare for this day. What's another keynote or address to prepare for?

Papyrus protested. "YOUR FLUFFYNESS, THIS IS IMPORTANT! MONSTERKIND HAS FINALLY BEEN INVITED TO JOIN THE UNITED NATIONS! THE HUMANS ARE FINALLY BEGINNING TO SEE HOW COOL WE ARE!"

"Yeah Dad, I have to agree with Papyrus on this one." Frisk added. We've worked really hard to get here. From coming to the surface, to finally establishing our own nation and the monster settlements. This is our big moment!"

Undyne moved from her desk to meet the three, allowing Alphys to excitedly react to Frisk's new regalia from the corner of her camera. "Oh my gosh, is that Frisk? Hi! AHH, I LOVE HOW YOU LOOK IN THAT UNIFORM! Mettaton's design studio really outdid themselves this time! And the cape! Fishcake, turn the camera around!" Undyne smiled as she turned the lens to show a completely flushed Frisk to a very excited Alphys. She was dressed in her usual clothes, but in the royal family's absence, she was sitting on the old creamcup-flanked throne in place of Asgore. To her right was Mettaton in his Neo skin, dressed in the similar royal blazer as the rest of the monsters, and to her right was Red, a young monster who had climbed the ranks of the royal guard almost as fast as Papyrus had. She had a tuft of pink hair sticking out from under the cloak she was wearing and looked nervous as the focus of the group has turned towards her party. Even if she was talented, it was clear that pomp and circumstance wasn't quite in her element. Mettaton and Red stood to the side as Alphys got up from the throne to approach the camera.

Alphys excitedly continued. "You all look so wonderful! Like true heroes! Just wait until the rest of the monsters get to see you! Everyone's so excited about the ceremony today."

"It's true, darlings! It's practically a national holiday." Mettaton chimed in. "On the way here it feels like every monster has crammed in wherever they could find a place to watch it. There's several even in the palace below. Toriel love, your schoolkids are even here too."

Toriel, who had kept herself quiet in the back of the party until that point, sprang to life at the mention of her schoolchildren. "So Professor Woshua made it? Good! I'm so happy that my children can watch such an important day." She gave a slight nod to Asgore, who's anxious expression upon hearing his ex-wife's voice faded somewhat as he received her seal of approval.

"so alphys, how does it feel to be king for a day? do you feel any more powerful than usual?" Sans asked.

She moved her hands excitedly. "N-not really! I feel grateful that the kingdom tends to run itself. All of the automated security systems are running at full capacity, and we've closed the borders for today to ensure our remaining security force isn't too overstaffed. I even brought Red down from the Underground sentry post to assist with security here."

Red stepped forward, and snapped to attention. "Y-Yes my lord! I've been assisting Duchess Alphys in everything she's needed! There hasn't been any problems.

"whoa kid, relax! there's no need to be so stiff with me. my bones are enough support for the both of us." Sans held up his hands and chuckled to try and put Red at ease, but his joke seemed to have the opposite effect. Sans paused to acknowledge Toriel's giggle and everyone else's groans before continuing. "so…do you have anything to report?"

"…S-sir! I mean, Sans! Sans, sir! Ahem! There's been some activity near Mt. Ebott, but all scans seem to imply it's only monsters. We've left them alone for now."

Asgore sat down and relaxed in his chair. "So everything's fine then. When I heard that monsters were going missing, I was scared, but…"

Mettaon sashayed the the center of the screen and gave the king a thumbs up. "Sire, there's no worries here! You're kingdom is in good hands with the incredible tag-team duo of Alphys and the ever-incredible Mettaton!"

Chara spoke up. "Ugh Frisk, we're such a big band of dorks. I'm surprised we're able to get anything done."

Frisk nodded and decided to voice the sentiment to the rest of the group. "We're such a big band of dorks. And here we are, running a country." They gave everyone a soft smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Even as everyone joked about in the standard silliness common to monsters in the Underground, there was little debate that the world had become much more serious recently. To the monsters who lived for centuries in lives colored by so many emotions and change, the past five years must have felt like a whirlwind of new experiences. But to Frisk, and in some ways to Chara, the past five years had felt like an eternity all on their own. Frisk had done their best to joke, like how Papyrus and Sans always seemed to be able to do, but the brevity of the day made it so much harder. The stress they carried with them migrated to Chara, and Frisk could feel their weight inside their SOUL as if it was a knot in their heart. Despite the unpleasant heaviness, it was a constant reminder of their bond and shared fate.

Chara rolled their eyes at Frisk's melodrama, but quickly dropped their playful annoyance to an expression of concern as tears began to stream down Frisk's face. They attempted their best effort at comforting. "H-hey! You're the biggest dork of all, you know? That wasn't supposed to make you cry! We all did it! We made it. We're all right here, okay! I-I just…."

Frisk noticed the worried expressions that everyone was now giving them, and spoke up to assuage everyone's fears, doing their best to make out words between sniffles.

"I-I'm fine guys! Really. It's just *sniff* there were so many moments when I thought I wasn't going to make it, when *sniff* I thought I couldn't do it. I was so scared." Frisk tried to continue but begin to cry harder. Toriel, her motherly instincts overriding her general discomfort, moved her way to the front of the group and embraced Frisk, pulling them effortlessly into their arms that had for five years now protected the person the person she cherished more than anyone else in the world. Asgore stood up to do the same, wrapping his massive hands around both of them as Frisk continued to bawl.

The room was beginning to grow louder as the other delegates were entering from the Great Hall. Queen Willow and Justin led them, and they quickly broke off their conversation with a palace guard when they noticed Frisk crying at the base of the aisle. They approached the group quickly but, like the other monsters, kept their distance as the Dreemurrs tried to comfort their child.

"My child. You've been so strong. I'm so proud of you. You've done more than we could have ever asked of any monster, let alone child. You've taken on responsibilities and burdens that some people never have to deal with. And I'm sorry that we've had to ask so much of you. But please, do not worry. You've done such a good job. You've made all of monster kind so happy. You've made _us_ so happy.

And no matter what, we'll always be your family. You can always come home."

Asgore continued. "We love you, Frisk. All of the monsters do. You bring so much color to our lives. You understood us in a time when no one else did. And it's because of you that this freedom is possible. This is all thanks to your hard work."

Undyne chimed in. "Yeah punk! It's because of you that I've gotten so strong! I've been able to protect so many people! I even married a dinosaur!"

Alphys heavily bushed before responding to Undyne "Yeah Frisk! It was always my dream to meet a human, a-and make friends, and learn all about life on the surface! It's all thank to you!"

"Me too, darling! M.T.T Productions has reached new levels of stardom thanks to all of the work you've done! I get to make humans and monsters swoon over me now!" Mettaton added, striking a pose as if he had an audience to impress with his words and body. Papyrus followed in similar fashion.

"OBVIOUSLY, I WAS ALREADY A COOL DUDE BEFORE, BUT NOW I'M THE KNEES OF BOTH HUMAMS AND MONSTERS! I CAN'T HELP THAT I'VE INSPIRED SO MANY! IT'S SO TOUGH BEING SO FAMOUS, BUT IN ORDER TO KEEP INSPIRING THE WORLD TO DO THEIR BEST, YOU HAD TO INSPIRE ME FIRST, HUMAN"

"yeah kid. at first, i wasn't sure how to feel, what with the would being the way it is and all. but you've succeeded in making a future everyone can be happy in. that's pretty impressive. you haven't given up."

By this point, Willow was crying too. Justin held her head to his chest as he looked upon the monsters. Frisk managed to wiggle their arms out from under the tight grasp of their parents and brought themselves to a point where they could open their eyes. The sight of the room filling with delegates made them instinctively want to seize up, since showing this much emotion in diplomatic circles was usually frowned upon, and their crying had no doubt made a scene for the entire room. But the sight of their friends reassured them that this time, this would be okay. Frisk choked back their remaining tears and gave everyone a wide smile.

"Thank you so much, everyone. I'm going to be okay." They walked forward to Willow and said in a soft voice "And I'm so sorry for making you cry too."

Willow practically jumped into Frisk's embrace. "Frisk, I love you so much! You're the best friend a royal can ask for, you hear me!" Don't *sniff* go thinking of yourself any less, okay? I need you too."

"Willow, Heir Dreemurr, I hate that I have to do this, but it's time for the session to start. I love emotional moments as much as the next guy, but…"

"I know. This our big day. We can't be late." They turned to face the monsters again "After all, today is the day that peace will finally come."

* * *

"Everyone, please rise for the king of the Kingdom of Monsters, Asgore Dreemur."

Bergentrückung played as the delegates rose from their seats and honored Asgore as he made his way down the scarlet-carpeted aisle of Pendragon's assembly hall. As was customary in the kingdom, Frisk and the others all bowed with their left arm to their chest as he walked. This was something Frisk as the kingdom's ambassador did at several points in the day, but they noticed Toriel's visible frown at having to bow to her estranged husband for the first time since she was made a noble. Separated from her by Sans however, there was little they could do to assuage her feelings. The other delegates remained surprisingly respectful as Asgore took his place in the center of the room and for the first time surveyed his peers in full.

"Greetings. To the audiences across the world that may be seeing a monster for the very first time, know that I am Asgore, the King of the Kingdom of Monsters and the leader of all who endeavor to realize peace between monsters and humankind. Throughout my life and my reign as king, I have been grateful to witness many critical points in history. From the advent of the Byzantine Empire and the beginnings of the Papal States, to our persecution in the First Crusade, and throughout our prolonged conflict with the surface, I have come to personally know how violence and death bends the world on an arc towards despair and destruction. The War Between Monsters and Humans claimed the lives of seven innocent children and a countless number of monsters, all of whom had families and loved ones that they now leave behind. Even my own two children would perish in the millennia that monsters and humans remained determined to see the end of each other. Our feud across time and space has left a trail of bodies and dust in its wake with little hope of a better future. It is because of these experiences that I believe now, more than ever, it is time for us to put aside our differences and create a new world, one where a new era of peace and unity exists for all who seek it.

Five years ago, a young child fell into Mt. Ebbott and, in one day, radically revolutionized monsterkind. Through their determination, they were able to change our fate and grant us freedom from our underground prison. The barrier, a magical seal that artificially created a prison for all monsters, was finally broken. But with its destruction came the creation of a new world where the hopes and dreams of countless monsters would be allowed to flourish.

The past five years have not been without its challenges. Change takes time, and in the adjustment period that has followed our Ascension and the re-establishment of the Kingdom, there were many times when I feared that the world would once again come to test the resolve of our souls. But in my heart, I hold the supreme belief that peace, above all, will prevail. And in these same five years, humanity has shown that our desire for love and coexistence outweighs our tolerance for hate and isolation.

That's why today, I wish to put an end to the cycle of suffering and vengeance. Though the Kingdom of Monsters maintains a treaty with some nations, the vast majority of the world remains in a state of war with the Kingdom of Monsters. So during this session, I humbly request for the delegates of each member nation of the body to ratify the Treaty of London. This act will establish a framework for how monsters and humans can live together in harmony, and its words along with our continued participation in the United Nations shall act as a trailblazing moment for all those who desire to move into the future. I would love for nothing more than to know peace for our time."

* * *

_Mayfair, London, England  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 11:27 AM_

"Windsor 5, this is Pendragon Two. Report, Windsor 5."

No response. Collette was beginning to get anxious as yet another squad failed to report in on their status. That made three, and all of them squads in proximity to Pendragon Palace. Even though their vital signs showed that they were alive, at rest, even, she couldn't reach them. There were several reasons as to why their equipment may not be working, even if they were improbable at best. And every credible threat that may have been an issue had already been taken care of. There was no reason to worry about anything, and yet, she couldn't help herself from thinking that something foul was at play.

Collette, now well into her early thirties, had been an older sister figure to Queen Willow since the both of them were young. After Willow's mother was killed when Willow was thirteen, she assumed many of the responsibilities of ensuring she grew up to be her best self, and that included on how to rule as queen. As any intelligence agent worth their salt, she had a reputation for being rational and cool-headed despite her strong-willed and impulsive master, but the longer time passed, the more her worry began to escalate. She couldn't articulate it, but inside of her, she knew something was very wrong.

"I just can't believe we would have defective equipment at a time like this, after all the money we spend on this garbage. Quincy One, this is Pendragon Two. Can you copy?"

"Loud and clear, Pendragon Two. Current Location?"

"Grosvenor Square. Dover, Windsor, and Kent squads are all unresponsive. Everyone should have had their coms open for this mission. Can you check their specs and tell me what's happened to them?"

"Of course, my Lord. Stand by."

Seconds passed by at first, then minutes as Collette waited for the intelligence division to complete their analysis. Collette slowly walked down the street towards the last known position of Kent squad, looking as causal as she could among the thousands of people who had gathered nearby to watch the ceremonies at the United Nations conference. Eventually, she arrived at the end of the block and stopped short of a house with stately wood doors concealing their sniper positions and rendezvous point.

"Well, Q One? What's their status?"

When he finally came back online, he was out of breath, and Collette could hear the frantic yells of others in the intelligence headquarters behind him. Collette knew that wasn't a good sign, and before he could even get a word out, she was already digging in her coat for the access card to the apartment.

"Pendragon Two, they've been taken out, all of them! All of the comlinks have been destroyed, spectacles and all. They're still alive it seems, but-!"

Collette burst through the door, gun drawn, hoping that they had merely jumped to conclusions, but the words of her support staff were true. In front of her in the foyer lay six men, stripped of their weapons and gear, left only with the items that couldn't be taken from them, including their vital sensors. She leaned in to check the vitals of one of her men. After confirming that he was indeed still breathing , she immediately ran out the door and began to make her way to Pendragon Palace.

"Q One, trouble! Someone's taken their uniforms and weapons! We don't know who but we can't rule out terrorism. Raise the national threat level to Wyvern. Alert the police and the royal forces and begin the evacuation of Central London immediately! I'm headed to Pendragon now to rescue Her Majesty. Hurry, we can't have much time left before they pull something."

"Right away, miss!" With that, they clicked off from inside of her ear and Collette quickly dialed Justin from her watch, weaving through crowds of families and passersby as she sprinted towards the palace.

"Pen Three, do you copy? This is Pen Two. Something bad is happening and you need to get the Queen out of there now. There are terrorists walking around in the uniforms of British security forces, it's dangerous!"

Justin spoke in a whisper. "How? That's impossible, how could a run-of-the-mill terrorists overpower our own special forces? And us not hear about it?"

"I don't know, but it definitely happened! There were no reported gunshots either. Maybe we have traitors in our midst, but we really don't have the luxury of figuring that out. They could already be there right now."

"Right. I'll get the Queen out of there. And general evacuations? I hear some chatter about that happening already?"

"It's been called for but moving this many world leaders at once is impossible. When I get there, we'll advise them to shelter in place, but for now, please tend to the Queen! I'm almost there!"

"Understood, Pen Three out."

Collette rounded the final corner of the park, and knowing Willow would be safe, slowed her pace to catch her breath. All the while, she was desperately trying to come up with a reason that could explain the incapitation of her squads. There weren't any signs of gunfire or a fight, so there couldn't have been a major altercation. Yet, everyone was knocked out by the time she got there. Even more remarkable, they were all alive. What kind of spy could be skilled enough to have done that? Knock out adults trained in martial arts without causing any damage to their surroundings? Could they have been drugged? But not all of them at once. And for the substance to affect them all at the same time? No matter how she tried to approach it, nothing she came up with made sense.

But then she remembered about something her Queen had confided in her, from three years ago. How suddenly she had gained the ability to perform magic. Even having never seen it performed, she knew that Frisk was also skilled with magic, and that all sorts of monsters have different ways they can utilize and channel their own magic. It made no sense to her, but…

"Did…did monsters attack our forces? But then the clothes…so then it had to be…It was..!"

Her train of though was interrupted by a sharp and sudden pressure to her back. She turned around just enough to see that a women dressed in the uniform of the British security forces was holding her at bladepoint. She could make out very little about her due to the beret covering most of her eyes, but it was clear she was young, no older than 21, and short. The young woman spoke with an American accent as she grabbed Collette's arm with her other free hand.

"Humans? I'm surprised, Lady Collette. You really do live up to your reputation as a modern James Bond."

"Let's get this out of the way right now. I could take you from this position with ease. I don't care who you think you are, if you think you can mess with you've got another thing-"

"Crow, now. Engage her soul."

Before Collette could begin to ask what she meant, she suddenly saw what appeared to be a blue heart appear in front of her. In nearly that same moment, was pulled to her knees by an incredible gravity. She placed her arms down in front of her to brace herself and break her fall, but no matter how much she pushed she could not get back up. Attempts to swipe away at the heart-shaped object also failed; every time she attempted to touch it, her hand simply passed right through. She struggled to get words out through the weight. She eventually relented and was pulled to the ground by the gravity.

"Y-you know, p-pushing me down like this, you're going to d-draw a scene."

The mystery girl laughed and pulled out a vintage radio. "Oh don't worry, my lady. An even bigger scene is about to begin. And with you out of the way, our job here is done. Cage, this is Raven. Give them the okay. It's time to blow this dump. Crow, cut her off. Let's head to the palace."

An overwhelming pressure cut off Collette's ability to breathe, and as her strength left her, she crumbled onto the ground, wheezing for air as it felt like the gravity was crushing her very soul. As her vision left her, she attempted to reach out to the mystery girl, who had walked in front of her to check her partner's progress. But at the very end, there was an explosion, then screaming. And despite Collette's best effort, she had no choice but to give into the dark.

* * *

_Pendragon Palace, London, England  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 11:35 AM_

Asgore walked from behind the podium at the dais and down to a table at its base, each step echoing throughout the hall and around the entire world. On the table, the Treaty of London waited patiently for his signature. Just as planned, Asgore would be first to sign, and with it's ratification by the General Assembly, the specter of the war that had haunted the world for so long would finally be over. Frisk did their best to not tear up as Chara floated above them. All of the monster delegation watched with bated breath as Asgore picked the antique quill and prepared to sign the most important document monsters had ever known. From home, in Ebott City, a large band of monsters had gathered to watch from the screens set up in the castle's gathering hall. Outside of Pendgraon Palace, tens of thousands of people waited and watched as, once again, history was being made in London. For one minute, the entire world's focus shifted to the fuzzy king of monsters and what he was about to do next.

Frisk internally whispered to Chara. "Chara. Chara, I know I'm not supposed to cry but, we did it. We actually did it. And I'm so happy you get to be here to see it." Chara didn't respond, but brought themselves down to rest on Frisk's shoulders, smiling to themselves about how much of a dork their vessel was. The weight from Chara's spirit that Frisk has so grown accustomed to feeling comforted them as they tried their best to hold themselves together.

Several rows behind, Queen Willow was sitting with Justin and staff that would usually make up the United Kingdom's regular delegates to the United Nations. She was unsuccessfully trying her best not to cry. "Justin, this *sniff* this is so beaut- *sniff* -tiful! I'm so happy for them!"

Pulling out his handkerchief, he handed it to the queen. He offered her a soft smile and was about to respond when he heard Collette call in over earpiece, and instead leaned down to respond to her in quiet. When he sat up again, the warm smile he had just given his Queen was replaced with abject fear.

"Willow, we need to get out of here, now! It's not safe."

Willow looked up from her champion's handkerchief. "What? What do you mean?"

"There's going to be an attack. On Pendragon. The terrorists are already in place to launch it. We need to evacuate everyone, now."

Back at the table for delegation of monsters, Sans, who had let himself doze off during Asgore speech, was awoken by Toriel poking his bony side and then motioning to the communicator built into each desk. Sans pulled himself up to read the text from Toriel.

"Do you hear something? Outside?"

"not really. why? is something happening?"

"I hear people running. And a ticking. I am not sure what it is supposed to mean."

San's eyes shot open at ticking. Quickly, he turned to look at Toriel, who displayed a worried expression on her face. He then turned around to look at Willow, who appeared to also be having an urgent conversation with Justin. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but from the commotion they were causing to the people around them, he knew from his time doing intelligence work that it was nothing good.

"tori. can you…hear them too?"

She nodded.

San's eyes widened in panic.

In front of the Treaty of London, Asgore placed the large antique quill on the top of the stack of papers. "With this, I hope that I will bring an end to the last war mankind and monsters ever have to fight."

But before he had a chance to execute his signature, Sans stood up in panic. "your majesty! Do not sign that document! undyne! a shield, now!"

Undyne, who thankfully was also uneased by the growing commotion and remained alert the entire time, quickly drew out Asgore's soul and created a large shield around him. She then turned to Willow, who had at that point was also standing up.

"Well!?"

Willow spoke quickly. "Everyone, it's come to my attention that our safety is at risk! Please, we need to evacuate now before it's – "

First there was a large boom, then a crash, and before anyone had time to react, rubble was falling around them as the wall closest to the dais started to collapse. To those watching outside, screams of horror and panic filled the air as the back wall of Pendragon Palace crumbled away in a plume of smoke.

For the first time since World War III, London was under attack. 

* * *

**AN**: To anyone who's still reading after all of this time, thank you! I'm truly grateful that someone out there is enjoying what I write, especially given how niche it is. I've been a little busy this November with conventions and schoolwork, so I haven't had a lot of time to work on my fanfiction like I would have wanted. But with Thanksgiving coming up, I'm hoping I'll have more time to put out more content. For now, enjoy a double update!

Writing these group ensembles is hard. But being able to write scenes where everyone is together reminds me of why I love this series so much. So many personalities! I'm hoping that with my OCs I can make them as varied and unique.

Red from taxiderby's fangame Undertale Red will be recurring character in my fanfiction, and all creative rights lay with them. Check their fangame out at post/135354499621/undertale-red !


	6. Toil and Trouble

_In what's being called the largest terrorist attack in the European Union's modern history, the Palace Pendragon, the seat of royal operations in the European State known as the United Kingdom, was bombed this morning in a deliberate attempt to disrupt the special United Nations conference on the question of worldwide monster sovereignty. A group of pro-human extremists claiming to call themselves the Human Liberation Front have claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement released to the public, they state that "Monsters represent a demonic plague set upon Earth as Satan himself, and it must be the duty of every able person to eradicate them for the protection of human sovereignty and prosperity." Before today, no record of any previous activity existed with the European Intelligence and Security Office._

_Early reports of the damage confirm eleven dead and nearly two hundred wounded, but several people currently remain unaccounted for, including all the delegation from the Kingdom of Monsters. This situation is developing, and we will bring you more news as it breaks._

_\- BBC Special Report on the Morning of Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120_.

* * *

_Pendragon Palace, London, England  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 11:40 AM_

The gleaming assembly hall, once Willow's pride as an example of what a new United Kingdom could do for the world, was in shambles. The blast and the force from the cave-in had knocked everyone back; many delegates were unconscious. Toriel had protected the monsters with a magical barrier of fire, hot enough to incinerate anything that got close but cool enough to keep them alive. Asgore, although knocked off his feet by the blast and visibly shaken, was protected by Undyne's shield and looked to be without a scratch. Although Frisk could see none of the aftermath, the screams from trapped and wounded people were enough to make them recoil in horror. At some point, the screams were broken by a group of people who presented themselves at the front of the room.

"Attention to everyone here! We are the Human Liberation Front! A group of freedom fighters dedicated to protecting the right of Humans to rule over the world! We cannot allow for the monsters to have their way with us or our planet! And the price they must pay for trying to control others is death!"

"Death to Monsters, Glory to the Humans!" The terrorists opened fire on the spinning cloud of flames protecting their monsters, and the delegates who remained in the room scurried for cover as bullets began to spray in every direction. Even inside of the flame wall, everyone except Toriel ducked for cover.

Chara floated in front of Frisk, hovering themselves above their desk. "Frisk! Frisk, are you okay? Please be okay."

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I think Toriel protected us. But more importantly, who attacked us? The…Human Liberation Front? I've never heard of them."

Undyne spoke up. "Great. More terrorists! Small fry at that. Don't they know they're going to hurt innocent people!? Even their methods twisted. Toriel, can you let me out? We have to protect the delegates!"

Toriel was tense; keeping up the fire barrier required a lot of magic and left little room for much else. She spoke to Undyne through whatever grunt she could manage.

"I…can't…drop…the barrier! If I do, even for one...second, the bullets will get through!"

She scoffed. "So what then, our only option is to sit here and wait?"

* * *

Smoke poured out of Pendragon Palace's grand assembly hall as the trapped guests tore down doors, broke windows, and did whatever they could to get out of the hall as quickly as possible. Outside, the jovial and curious crowd that had watched the procession of dignitaries had been replaced with a sea of emergency response vehicles. Over the yelling and barking of orders, sobs and wailing could be heard from the vicinity of the grounds. Willow did her best to not lose heart as she paced in from of the command tent, but with every passing second her consternation grew.

"You have to let me in! Send me in there right now, you don't understand!"

"Your highness, I swore on the crown to _protect_ you! Under no circumstances can I let you inside that building! Your country needs you, that would be a death wish!" The young officer pleaded with the Queen. He begged her to remain calm, but as the moments passed, she found it harder to try and keep the concern for her friends from overwhelming her.

Willow snapped. "Corporal, was it? Tell me, do you know what will happen if let _any_ of the monster dignitaries _die_? Do you know what this world will do to us, to Britain, to the goddamned European Union if any more delegates bleed to their death inside of _my_ palace? Do you know what that will do to the world? Do you know what the world will do to _my family_? If you can manage even a slight mental picture of anything I just mentioned, then you should know that I have to be there for them."

"Willow, please. Listen to the officer. He isn't trying to hurt you." Justin walked around from being a car in front of them. His clothes too were in tatters, and he walked with a limp and the help of a mechanical brace he received at the medical tent. "It's a miracle you're alive right now. I know magic makes a difference, but bloody hell, why push your luck? Our boys can handle this."

The soldier, still stiff from Willow's last rant, continued. "Agreed, sir! Our security forces have this and help is already on the way. Scans of the building show that the monsters are still alive, and that the terrorists are using World War III-era equipment. They won't be a match for our forces."

Willow turned her attention to Justin. "The nerve of you! How dare you just drop me off and run away like that! Honestly, I-I had half a nerve to run back in then. Why, I have half a nerve to just…p-push you down right now" She opened her mouth to continue ranting, but before she could finish, Justin stepped forward to embrace her, gripping her in an embrace so tight the air at first all escaped her lungs. She staggered a bit before slowly wrapping her hands around his back, tears streaming down her face as she finally let her façade drop.

"The monsters, I hope they're able to forgive me. For this, for everything. I had one job today, and I failed at it. The Republicans are right, I'm just – "

"Willow, please. You've done well today. You've done all you can. It's okay."

"But! But! They're my family, Justin. They're my family and I left them!" Willow was openly sobbing by this point. She buried her face in Justin's jacket as she gripped him tighter. Justin held a quiet, solemn look in his face, but his whole body quietly shook with violent fury. An attack like this was _never_ supposed to happen in one of the strongest countries in the world. The E.U. was certainly going to answer for this later. But his fury at the powers that be were secondary to the confirmation that his Queen and his love were okay, even if he couldn't directly tend to her anguish.

Another soldier, an older man, radioed into Justin's comm. "Duke Greenwood, this is Captain Lancaster of the Air Division, 3rd Army. We're ready to initiate the drone strike on the Queen's order. Just give the word."

Justin hesitated for a moment, looking down at a still sobbing Queen on his shoulder. "Can you give me my word that none of the delegates will be hit?"

"Aye sir. All munitions are either targeted or laser guided. The attack will be surgical."

Before he could an answer out, Willow pushed herself up and out of his embrace, and positioned herself in front of the partially collapsed and smoking palace, taking in the smoking wreckage as if it was a beast she was trying to stare down for dominance. She stood up straight and began to walk towards the command tent, beckoning for Justin to follow.

"This is Queen Willow. Captain Lancaster, you're free to fire at your discretion. Do not stop until all of the terrorists are dead. Kendall Unit, be prepared to infiltrate and retrieve any hostages still inside the building. The delegates from the Kingdom of Monsters are Priority Item One. Breach at the first shot.

"Yes, your majesty! Over and out."

Willow turned to Justin. Hot, stinging tears still flowed down her face, and the expression she held was filled with sorrow despite how determined she attempted to look. She wanted so much to crumble in his arms, to held and kept safe until all this madness was over, but unfortunately, she had to other things to deal with. She was the leader of a nation, a responsibility she had been made aware of several times in her life since rising to face her destiny. From the moment she became a Queen, and for the rest of her life, her utmost duty was to the State, regardless of what happened. Maybe at one time she would railed at the responsivities placed on a 17-year old, but she knew that she couldn't afford to do that any longer.

"Justin. The personnel check. Has every unit gotten back to you yet?"

"Yes, and no one's unit is reporting anyone they shouldn't have. The scans of the Palace don't show any of our soldiers either. There's a chance that they're wearing our weapons, but -

"They would need to be activated by us. However, I have a hard time believing that those brutes inside could have knocked out Collette. Hmm…."

She held up her hand to engage her com. "Attention, all units. It's likely there are another set of terrorists in the palace. Use extreme caution when entering." A chorus of affirmations greeted on the other end.

And just as they reached the tent, they heard it. Five successive blasts, then a sixth, and after what felt like an eternity, the sound of gunfire finally disappeared. The area around the command center went quiet for second, and just when it seemed like this nightmare might finally be over, a wave of confusion swept the tent, then the other security units, as if things had just gotten worse. Willow and Justin walked in and observed a virtual map of the palace showing soldier's movements. One by one, they were beginning to fall, even with all their supposed strength.

Willow finally spoke up, face pale. "What…what's going on?"

A middle-aged officer, engrossed in whatever was happening on his module, looked up at her and saluted, and then grimly stated "Your highness. Those six gunshots that killed the terrorists, they weren't us. And whatever group is inside the palace now, we can't track them. The drones have been destroyed. It's just as you said. There's someone else inside the palace."

Willow felt her heart drop. Not again.

* * *

"UNDYNE! DON'T RUN THROUGH! YOU'LL BECOME A FISH STICK!"

"Rrrragh! But I've got to do something! Let me go Paps!" Undyne, spear already out, struggled to get out Papyrus' hold and burst through Toriel's barrier. Even if it was safe on the inside, it was an action would almost certainly badly injure her; the flame barrier was incredibly hot. Sans was looking down with his hands in his pockets, no doubt thinking about the merits of teleporting outside and dealing with them himself at the cost of exposing himself to certain death. Frisk knelt on the floor under the desk in quiet contemplation, thinking about how to get out of this.

"We're really screwed now, aren't we?" Chara said from the one place where they wouldn't have to worry about any bullets or fire.

"I'll…I'll think of something. Some way to get us out of here." But no matter how hard they thought, it was hard to focus over their mother's pained expression and Papyrus' and Undyne's yelling. The universe didn't give Frisk much time to think, however, before Undyne finally found her chance to act.

It all happened in a second. Finally breaking free of Papyrus and his magic bones, she began to move towards the barrier's flaming edges. Papyrus reached out to stop her, which caused Frisk to standup and move towards her in kind. Toriel turned her face to avoid having to look, and from the corner of Frisk's eye, they saw Sans taking the only opportunity they were going to get to open his eye and reveal the blue glow that, even after years of not doing a single genocide run, still struck a tinge of anxiety into the hearts of both children. But before any of them could act any further, they heard six gunshots and the grunting of bodies as they hit the floor. Their weapons gave a loud clang and scattered across the steps of the dais. Toriel almost immediately relaxed the barrier and slumped into her chair. Undyne and Papyrus dashed to Asgore as Sans and Frisk stayed behind.

Toriel managed to speak in huffs as she caught her breath. "Wow…I have not had to use magic that strong in ages. That was quite the workout for an old goat like myself."

Sans walked up to her and held her hand, his expression changing into one softer than Frisk had seen this entire trip. "tori. you did really well. there's not need to _goat_ yourself into doing anymore. you saved everyone."

Toriel let out a smile as she let the tears well at the bottom of her eyes. She gripped the skeleton's bony hands tighter as she let herself relax. Up on the steps of the dais, Undyne helped Asgore to his feet as Papyrus went to survey the bodies of the now-dead terrorists.

"Your highness, are you okay? Thank goodness my shield held out for as long as it did! We were so worried about you!"

Asgore grunted a bit as his eight foot frame rose out of the position he had to contort himself to stay under Undyne's shield. He dusted himself off and gave her a relieved smile. "Never better. They're going to have to work a little harder than that if they're going to end my life." His smile quickly faded as he surveyed the damage done to the palace, and the mountain of rubble that blocked their view to the outside. "However, something tells me that the conference might not have been the success story we hoped for. Did…did everyone…?" Asgore paused shot Undyne a look of concern.

She returned a puzzled face before realizing who Asgore was referring to. "Oh yeah, the other delegates! We…we don't know. I can only assume that everyone made it out okay but we haven't had time to – Papyrus, be careful! Don't get too close to those scum!"

"UNDYNE, IT'S FINE! THESE HUMANS…THEY'RE REALLY DEAD! THEY'VE BEEN SHOT CLEAR IN THE HEAD." Papyrus exclaimed, checking each one of them for a pulse. Five years ago, everyone (and especially Sans) may have worried about letting Papyrus see so much blood and violence, but his time in the royal guard had only seemed to push him forward. "WHO DO YOU THINK DID THIS, THE BRITISH?"

Frisk finally spoke up, moving into the aisle to get a better view. "That's what bothers me. If it was the British, where are they? You think that the soldiers would have breached at the same time. Yet, we haven't anything except-"

Gunshots, then screaming, erupted from the direction of the grand hall. And unlike the terrorists, who were using crude machine guns, Frisk could tell by the sound of the weapons they were among the caliber that the European Union used. So, who were they using it on?

Toriel looked pale. "We have got to get out here. Now." Sans nodded in agreement.

"MAYBE WE CAN GO THROUGH THE HOLE THE REBELS USED! AFTER ALL, IT DOES GO OUTSIDE!" Papyrus said, walking towards the open hole as he replaced his concerned look for the terrorists to one of determination. "AFTER ALL, AS AN ELITE MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD, IT'S MY JOB TO PROTECT THE ROYAL…."

"…FAMILY." Papyrus' slowed down as everyone turned their attention to focus on two cloaked individuals who emerged at the top of the wreckage. One of them was a girl with an athletic build who couldn't have been much larger than Frisk. She wore a soldier's mask designed to mimic a medieval witch doctor's mask. However, even though you couldn't see her face, her distinctive princess curls gave her away as someone of a distinctive personality. She wore a curved, two-sided blade on her right wrist. The man to her left however, did not wear mask, and even though he had a face full of stubble, his softer features implied he was younger than thirty. Under his robes, Frisk could see that he wore an all-black uniform and had two broadswords affixed to his waist. His broad but slim figure created an imposing presence as he towered over Papyrus at the top of the rubble. Everyone wore a tense face.

The woman was first to step forward, speaking through her mask. "You. Frisk. You're coming with us. Now."

Before Frisk could even speak up, Toriel stood up from her chair, indignation in her voice. "Excuse me!? my child is not going anywhere with you people, _especially_ with terrorists."

The girl scoffed and shrugged. "Terrorists? You have it all wrong, lady. We're the resistance! We have something to fight for. Not like those idiots who we just saved you from. We told them to cause a scene, but jeez, not to shoot up the entire assembly hall. This wasn't the plan at all. Isn't that right, Cage?"

Cage finally stepped forward, walking past a flabbergasted Papyrus and facing the group. He eyed the monsters intently before setting his eyes on Frisk. "Look, this isn't a kidnapping. We just have a few questions to ask you." He let a small smile escape before continuing. "We're not here to harm you…if we don't have to."

"And you expect us to believe that?" Frisk shouted. "You're the one who armed these terrorists. You can't just let someone do the dirty work for you, sit back, and then take credit for cleaning up the mess that _you_ caused. You want me to be grateful? Be happy we're still alive to stop you from hurting anyone else."

Yeah Punk! You all-black wearing dweeb! If you're going to get off on threatening my buddy Frisk, you're setting yourself up for a world of pain you are _not_ ready to enter!" Undyne declared, drawing a spear as Asgore did the same. Toriel gripped the arm of Frisk tightly, and even through their jacket they could feel Toriel's soft paws become hot with the fires of her rage.

"Fine. Have it your way. But remember, you are the ones who chose this path." Cage snapped his hands, and from the back of the room, more hooded and masked soldiers flooded in. More odd than their clothing, some of them had weapons, and some of them didn't. The sight confused everyone but seemed to alarm Asgore.

"Undyne, Tori, wait! These people, terrorists, there's something weird about them. It may just be a guess, but you're magic users, aren't you?"

"Wooooooooow, you actually guessed it! And without any hints. Score ten points for fluffybuns!" The girl on top of the rubble walked past a flabbergasted Papyrus to Cage's side. "It's as you say. We're a cabal of magic users, and we're not afraid to wreck your shit if we have to."

Frisk could hear Chara laughing as they watched the events unfold in front of them. Even with Frisk's rising anxiety, the group's display seemed to not worry Chara at all.

"What's so funny, Chara? Have you finally lost it?"

"Oh please Frisk, you see these clowns, right? And you expect _me_ not to laugh? You have so much faith in me! These guys are absolutely hilarious, with their 'We are the resistance!' bit. Ha!"

"Chara, this is serious! I've already been kidnapped once, and you remember how that ended. And above all, we can't let anything happen to Asgore. If Asgore dies, the Kingdom of Monsters will collapse. And then we'll all be finished."

"Fine then, my dear partner. Cage's SOUL can't be read, neither can his other stats. He's not a monster, after all. But he certainly does look the part. It looks like we're surrounded on all sides. For all his dramatic posturing, Cage does looks pretty determined. You may have to fight your way out of this one. What are you going to do?

Frisk shot a concerned look to Papyrus, who they knew would understand this more than Undyne would, and after recovering from their own shock, Papyrus responded with their trademark haughty smile before throwing a thumbs up. Their exchange caught the attention of Sans, who drew his attention away from Cage's swords to his little brother approaching the edge of the dais. Papyrus swung his skeleton arm out and posed as he began to address the crowd.

"HUMANS, DO NOT BE ALARMED! WHILE IT SEEMS LIKE FRISK IS (how would you say it?) LIKE AN ORANGE IN AN APPLE BUNCH, DO NOT BE AFRAID! FRISK IS WELL CARED FOR AMONG THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. THERE IS NO NEED TO BE SCARED." When Papyrus finished, he winked at Undyne and then looked towards His Majesty, hoping that Undyne would recognize the opportunity that Papyrus was trying to make for her. Some of the hooded members could be heard laughing from the back, emboldening Papyrus to continue.

"Huh? Kid, what are you talking about? We know Frisk is accepted by the monsters, that's why we're here. We need to talk to them about some important…monster stuff!" The twin-tailed girl said turned her head to face Papyrus.

"OHOHOH! IS THAT SO? IS THERE MONSTER STUFF SO IMPORTANT THAT IT CAN'T BE DISCUSSED IN FRONT OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS?" Papyrus took a couple of steps forward, approaching the girl just enough to make her shift her focus from the group to him.

The girl stopped just short of the dais steps and held her spinner in front of her. "Unfortunately Papaya, this meeting is for Humans only. Do you want to do something about that?"

"IT'S PAPYRUS, NOT PAPAYA! I AM NOT REMOTELY FRUIT SHAPED. AND YES! I ABSOULTELY WOULD. PREPARE YOURSELF HUMAN, FOR THE MIGHT OF THE ROYAL GUARD!"

Before she could move, Papyrus engaged her SOUL and turned it blue, causing the girl to lose her balance as she lunged forward at Papyrus. The soldiers in the back of the room rushed down the aisle towards the group, but before they could come within a spear's length of Undyne, Papyrus used two lines of bones to slam the soldiers into the desks on either side of the aisle, and the masked girl into the rubble against the wall. Cage, proving to be the most adept of his group, jumped to avoid Papyrus attack and landed facing the Frisk, with Toriel and Sans their sides. Quietly, Papyrus whispered to himself "NYEH NYEH HEH" as jumped down to meet Asgore and Undyne. "YOUR HIGHNESS, WHILE I'M AFRIAD I MAY QUITE POSSIBLY BE ABLE TO DO THIS ALL DAY, WE NEED TO LEAVE WHILE WE HAVE THE CHANCE!"

Undyne seconded. "I agree with Papyrus. It's important to the entire kingdom that you get out of here alive. We don't have much time." Even then, Undyne was pinning soldiers to the floor as they talked, ensuring the aisle would remain clear for their escape.

Asgore faced Toriel with a worried look, whose own resolve didn't falter at seeing the worries of her ex-husband. "Asgore, don't you dare worry about me. I can take care of myself. But you need to live. Please, get to safety."

Asgore nodded. He looked at his royal guardsmen and did the same, and soon all three of them ran up the aisle and out of the chamber, leaving just Sans, Toriel, and Frisk staring down the stone-faced Cage.

"my bro is the best, isn't he?" Sans said, speaking to no particular person but keeping his focus on Cage. "I don't think I could have come up with anything as nearly as elaborate as that." He opened his eyes to reveal his dark pupil-less eyes "so please, don't expect too much mercy or forgiveness from me when I come to kill you."

"Oooooh, so edgy! I'm trembling in my boots!" the girl said getting up from the rubble and dusting herself off as she jumped back to Cage's side. He addressed his subordinate.

"Raven, how damaged is your SOUL?"

"Ehh, not bad! That attack wasn't powerful. I can still fight!" She said, examining her Red SOUL. Frisk was the only one to audibly gasp, but they could see Toriel and Sans' attention drawn to the red heart over Raven's chest.

"I don't understand." Frisk said. "Even now, red SOULS are supposed to be extremely rare. I'm the only person I know with one, how do you have one?"

"You too!? Huh, I guess we're not as unlucky as we look! No wonder those two monsters are protecting you so much, if your magic is as weak as mine."

"Weak? What are you talking about?

"Well, you know. Everyone back at Cauldron knows my only strength is in movement. That's why I figured you dodged so much too, you know, with that 'pacifist ambassador' shtick. Don't tell me you actually think you're the strongest human alive? What a riot! What do you think, Cage? …Cage?"

Cage was quiet in thought, inspecting all three of them closely. Eventually, he turned to face is subordinate. "Raven. I can handle this. Make sure the other three don't try to come back. But remember not to kill them. We need them alive."

Raven saluted him. "Yes, sir! For the sake of peace!" Using the desk in front of her as leverage, she catapulting over the three and started moving towards the exit, with any grunt remaining in the hall following her in her stead. Toriel fired at her on instinct, and her move to try and stop Falcon gave Cage the room he needed to jump the desk himself and lunge at Toriel. Before either of his blades could connect however, he moved to defend himself against a stray bone aimed by Sans and meant to impale him.

"huh. that usually works on guys like you. figured I would give it a shot."

Sans failed to get a rise out of Cage. "So, cheap tricks really are your game, huh? Fitting, for a monster. Trust me, you won't be able to get off another shot like that."

"oh? you should know that i'm full of games. i always seem to get lucky with simple humans like you."

That one worked. "I'm going to wipe that stupid grin off your face, Sans! Prepare yourself!"

As Cage expected, Sans' next action was to turn Cage's SOUL blue, largely holding himself to the floor as he rolled over the last set of desks separating his aisle from the one Toriel and Sans shared. His broadswords blocked all the fireballs they could, but every time Cage would even approach striking distance of Sans, Toriel would create a wall of fire that couldn't be avoided without retreating back an aisle. The onslaught of Sans' precariously placed bones and Toriel's relentless rain of fire simply proved to be too much to handle alone.

Toriel took advantage of the distance they were able to make between them and Cage to find time to talk. "Frisk, you have to get out of here. Cage is after _you_. With you here, we'll always be on the defensive. But outside, you can find the others. We can make up a plan and beat Cage and his cohorts. But we can't do that here."

Frisk, crouching behind the pair, reached for their sword, trying to assure themselves that they could be of help to the tired goat. "I can help though! I'm strong! I have magical abilities and I can protect myself. I don't need you to fight for me."

Toriel was firing off successive rings of fire, much like the ones she once fired at Frisk but with much less room to escape. She still managed to find time to look back and show a weary smile to Frisk. "Aren't you the one who said that above all, Asgore must live? My child, you are the same. You represent the hopes and dreams of humans and monsters. Above all, you're the one who must live. This world needs you."

Frisk hesitated but picked themselves up as they found their will to move. "I…I understand. Thank you, mom, for everything." They hugged Toriel's leg before gathering what courage they had to dart from behind the table and up the aisle to the exit.

For the first time since arriving, Cage let a bit of panic show on his face. "NO! I can't let you leave. You have to come with us." Cage took the broadsword in his left hand and threw it square at Toriel, causing her to temporarily stop spellcasting and for Sans to summon a bone to save her.

"now you're down a sword. and don't even think for a second you're getting this back."

"Trust me, one will be enough. I have more than a few tricks up my sleeve."

The loud clang and cracking of bone Frisk heard caused them to turn around, and they even hesitated for a second before Toriel turned to them one more time and offered a reassuring smile. She turned back to Cage. "It's time to give up. Admit it. You made a mistake trying to hurt my family and now you are going to pay for it. But it is not like I would show you any mercy, even if you did."

Cage laughed. "How amusing! The ones who threw this world into chaos are the ones offering mercy to me? Do you even hear yourselves!? 'The hope of humans and monsters?' What a joke. I am the opposite for all you stand for."

"The opposite of what I stand for? How dare you even begin to insinuate that known me or everything I've been through."

"I know _plenty_ about you. Dutchess Toriel Dreemur, hero of the Monster War and Queen of the Underground until your desertion of the throne almost one hundred years ago. You isolated yourself from your kingdom and let your own two kids die on your watch. And them six more! Your negligence runs deep. But even after all of that, Asgore still saw fit to elevate your status and grant you local dominion over your old home. You're the epitome of the hypocrisy that nobility stand for, and your willingness to participate in this farce of a conference shows you're still a present danger to the peace of this planet."

Toriel's shock was visible across her face, but it was quickly replaced by fury. "Fine. You know my name, my story, and even my shortcomings, sure. But you still know _nothing _about me! About my growth, about my love, and about my life. I have suffered too much pain and endured too much sorrow to let a person like you judge me! And how do you exactly plan to bring about this dream of yours? With that power? You should know, both of us have much more magic to spare than what we've even shown you." Toriel let her hands flare brightly into two massive fireballs, both the size of the chairs in front of her as she aimed them at Cage. "And I should warn you, with Frisk gone, I don't have a reason to hold back."

Cage smiled.

"Good."

He threw his remaining sword at Sans, who instinctually dodged it. But before he could launch his next attack, Cage had already summoned Toriel's SOUL, and before either of them knew it, it had been converted to a dark shade of brown. Toriel rose to defend herself but found she had no fire to summon. Sans at that moment turned to cast his own magic, but it was too late. Cage drew a dagger and used it to slash Toriel down her torso, letting himself take a bone to the thigh to see the deed through. He fell back to lean on a chair and coughed up his own blood as Toriel fell to the floor.

Sans scremed. "TORI! Toriel, no!" Sans' casted several free bones towards Cage, but since losing his concentration, his hold on Cage's SOUL had also slipped, allowing him to move around his shots freely. Breathing heavily upon landing on the floor towards the base of the dais, he tore a piece of his jacket off and used his to stop the blood gushing from the gaping wound on his leg. The pain was almost too intense to remain conscious.

Her eyes wide, Toriel managed to wheeze her words through gasps. "H-How…did...you?"

Cage managed a smile. "I have no need to explain things to you. Bring Frisk to me and you may just find out."

"yeah buddy. cute of you to think you're going to be able to leave this room alive."

"Fine! Kill me and take and your revenge, and let your girlfriend die." Cage spat. "Or, you can save her and we'll all live to fight another day, just like you want. Don't forget, skeleton, that I just saved you from those terrorists! I offered you a path to resolve this without fighting! But you wanted it this way! I'm not letting you or anyone else stop me from my goals!" He could hear the buzzing of drones gathering outside and the movement of EU soldiers outside the door. Cage knew that his time was up. Sans, in a rare moment for the world-renowned spy, was too flustered to notice.

Sans took the wounded Toriel in her arms and shot him the iciest glare he had ever used in his life. "Deal. But if I ever see you again, I will kill you. You _will_ be dead where you stand"

He teleported away, and Cage used his stolen British equipment to radio his teammates. "Raven, Crow, this is Cage. I'm still in the assembly hall. I'm hurt and need extraction."

"This is Raven! I'm still in the area. As you predicted, the King and his royal guard are headed for the palace, but we expect they'll make a move for the airport soon. I'm standing by in rendezvous point C."

"Crow here. Airport's done. Awaiting orders. Over."

"Come and get me Raven. Let's move to point Omega and plan our next move there. All units engaged in combat, retreat. We've done enough for today."

"Roger. Crow out."

"Right captain! I'm on my way."

With that done, Cage activated the life support system in his suit, and let himself pass out as the sound of footsteps grew louder. His injury was a minor setback. But for now, all was going well for the Order of the Black Cauldron.

* * *

_**AN: **_And my story's primary antagonist finally reveals himself! Cage is a character we're going to see a lot of right up to the very end! The kind of world he envisions clashes with what both Chara and Frisk envision, so this chapter is just the first of many times tensions will arise between the two. Stay tuned until next week to learn more about the Order of the Black Cauldron!

This chapter is a little longer than I would like my updates to be (5,000 words ^^;) but I hope it and the previous chapter makes up for weeks of inactivity. Thank you so much for reading my story.


	7. Dusk Falls

_I was making lunch when I got the call that something had gone wrong. A bomb, they said, had gone off inside the palace where the conference was being held. They said they didn't know who did it, and that there were an unknown amount of causalities but my husband was sure to be one of them because he hadn't yet left the chamber. I swear, at that moment it felt like my entire world had grind to a halt. I was beside myself with panic. I didn't notice that I left the stove on or the door unlocked or anything before I left; and had it not been for the Emperor's travel clearance I swear I would have swam all the way to Britain myself. But I did end up making it, and just in time to see my sweet husband open his eyes again! Oh honey, bless his heart._

_Beau, he always did believe in these monsters. Even when it seemed like all the American Empire was going to wring the snot out of him for it, he remained so fascinated by monster culture. Said that they represented a way that no one else had ever seen before. I'll admit, I was beginning to believe him, but a lot of my friends back home are furious at them for pushing the world off the deep end. I doubt that anyone will want to give them the time of day after all that happened here. But despite all of his injuries, Beau refuses to blame them for what happened. He really is such a sweet man at heart. And I sat there and thought 'Gosh, if he can still believe in the monsters, then so can I."_

\- Vidalia Rose, wife to Senator Beau Rose  
2125 Documentary "The Year that Changed the Word"

* * *

_King Edward VII's Hospital, London, England  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 8:25 PM_

One of the most comforting things about the surface to Captain Undyne was that without fail, she could always expect for the sun to set, for the moon to rise, and then the sun to appear once again. No matter what hardship the day brought her, the Earth continued to spin as if to remind its inhabitants that time moves on, even when your own world comes to a halt. The walls, the weather, the ceiling in the underground never changed, and with the unchanging everyday came an overwhelming sense of suffocation that Undyne could never get over. The surface itself seemed like it granted the privilege of motion to all who came to live on it.

Undyne looked exhausted. Still in her Kingdom regalia from earlier, and now wearing a European Union security access card affixed to her jacket, she dragged herself through the hallways of King Edward VII's Hospital to the top floor, where Willow's retainers and Toriel lie as they recovered from the day's earlier battle. If the media attention was any indication, the act seemed to have divided the country, with some blaming monsters for the violence as two passersbys rudely did earlier, and many others empathizing with the pain that comes from being the one outside the room in a hospital, to have to wait and hope for the best despite the despair that sits around every corner. And if there is one thing Undyne was tired of, it was watching the ever-enduring struggle of her friends as they fought and clawed and persevered for a place in the world they were supposed to call home.

When she entered the room, she found Toriel's bed against the wall, herself sitting up and conversing with the group that had formed around her. Sans sat next to her, holding her paw and offering the best smile he could from the bedside of his lover. Papyrus leaned against the wall next to him, looking down on the two as they talked. Across from the Skeleton Savior was Frisk, who looked deep in thought and oblivious to the conversation around them. Asgore was standing by himself at the room's far window, contemplating the city just outside as he ruminated on the events of the day. Undyne could see Alphys watching them from a camera and monitor situated on the wall across from the bed, and seeing her yellow face alone made Undyne several times happier. However, besides Sans' occasional joke and Toriel's pained giggles, the mood in the room was uncharacteristically tense.

Papyrus was the first one to welcome her back. "UNDYNE! A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU RETURN FROM YOUR KNIGHTLY DUTIES! YOUR TRUSTY SQUIRE PAPYRUS HAS KEPT FAITHFUL WATCH OVER THE HOTEL ROOM AND IS PROUD TO REPORT NO FURTHER INCIDENTS."

Undyne was able to manage a smile. "Thanks, Pap. We wouldn't want anything else happening, would we? Have any of you seen Queen Willow around?"

The room returned nods. Frisk looked up and showed Undyne a face full of weary. Every word made it seem like they were on the verge of falling apart. "No. She hasn't been around. I know Collette's on this floor too. She could be there."

"Aww well, it's not important anyway. We were…just trying to confirm some stuff about tonight."

Asgore turned around. His face was solemn but it was clear he was the most put together of the group. "That's right Undyne, you sat through the meeting with the security forces from the European Union. What's the sitrep?"

Undyne protested. "You first! I've been in that stuffy tent all evening. I haven't heard from anyone since we were separated at the airport."

Frisk looked shocked, giving a look pregnant with sorrow at Undyne before continuing. "What airport incident? What else happened? Is everyone okay?" They started to raise their voice as tears began to well in their eyes. "When were any of you going to tell me about this!?"

Papyrus tried to assuage Frisk's anxiety. "FRISK, IT'S ALRIGHT! AS YOU CAN SEE, I AND MY FAITHFUL CREW ARE ALL ALIVE AND WELL! WE JUST…RAN INTO SOME TROUBLE WITH THE TERRORISTS AT THE AIRPORT."

"We were following the Crown's advice to get out of London, to head somewhere safer up north until everything blew over, but when we got to the terminal, our plane exploded, as did the building shortly after." Asgore added, followed by a nod of confirmation from Undyne.

"It would have been impossible to have snuck a bomb into the grounds, especially in this day and age. Plus, we all felt it. There was a powerful magic user involved making everything blow. Such a person like that could only have come from this terrorist group. We meant to talk about it, but I was able to protect everyone with my ability. Plus, after we heard about Toriel, it kind of…well…"

Toriel let out a cough before trying to speak, causing Sans to grip her furry paws harder. "Everyone, it is alright! I'm going to live. All I needed was a little bedrest is all. Plus, you've all done your best to heal me, with all your own healing magic. I am going to be okay. Isn't that right, Alphys?"

"R-right! Of course your highness!" Alphys sat up in her chair, quickly hiding the tissue she had in her hands from view. Undyne could tell that Alphys had been crying again, as the area around her eyes always turned darker when she did. Plus, she was holding her tail as she talked, and that was something she only did when she was anxious. She wanted nothing more than to be able to hug her Alphy on a night like this. "I've been able to interface with this hospital's equipment from here, and as long as the Queen is able to receive a steady supply of healing magic from someone for the next couple of hours or so, it should be safe enough to bring her home in a day or two for real treatment! You should…avoid eating human food for awhile, however. Even if it is good!"

"not a problem, your highness. I'll gladly eat all of the delicious human food for you." Sans shot a smile at Toriel.

She retorted. "Sans, if you don't watch it, all of that food will go to your bones."

"ehh, I'll be okay. something tells me these ribs have space to _spare_!"

Papyrus opened his mouth to object, but at the benefit of his brother, just looked silently annoyed before admiring Toriel's progress. "SO UNDYNE, IT'S YOUR TURN! TELL US WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MEETING."

Undyne sucked in air through her jagged teeth, clearly exasperated from the day's events. "NGAHH! It was…honestly frustrating." She let her shoulders drop and sat down in the last available chair as she continued. "It was like…all of the Home Guard commanders and some people from the European Union talking about how awful of an attack this looks on Britain and the nation, and junk. And of course, a lot of old humans trying to pin their problems like on me! No sense of responsibility. But ultimately, I told them everything that I knew. About Cage and Raven. About the terrorists before them. And about how they've seemed to have outmaneuvered us at every turn. No one knows where they are."

"Did they have any answers for us? Like who any of them are? I've been doing my research back here in the Kingdom but I haven't been able to find anything in our Intelligence database. I also reached out to Cascadia to ask them the same, but they didn't have anything either." Alphys said, adding what she knew while typing away at whatever console was in front of her.

Before Undyne had a chance to answer, an injured Collette appeared in the doorway in a wheelchair, perturbed by the predicament but otherwise okay with no visible wounds or bandages. Behind her was also a very tired-looking Queen Willow. She had no doubt been awake this entire time and had to be as drained as Undyne was. She motioned to her security detail to wait outside, and let the automatic door close behind her as she wheeled Collette in. Even in Toriel's very large hospital room, it was starting to get very crowded.

Frisk shot up, shocked and relieved to see both of them there. "Willow! You're okay! I lost contact with you after I heard Toriel was injured and," they paused, trying to hold back tears, "I'm so happy you're okay."

Willow returned Frisk a weak but assuring laugh. "Yeah friend, I'm…I'm okay. It's been a rough afternoon, with, Collette and Toriel and everyone, I…I…"

Before she could even continue, she collapsed into tears, finally letting out the pain and anxiety she had been holding in since the day's events had started. Frisk knew how emotional of a person Willow was, and how hard she worked to be the rock that her nation needed. Especially now, since the Crown had assumed some duties that had once been left to elected figures, it meant that Willow was under intense pressure to act like the leader Britain needed. Her situation reminded Frisk greatly of their own, and the two had bonded originally over their shared experiences of being children in powerful positions. Up until now, Frisk had never seen Willow cry so hard in the middle of a crisis. But the events of the day may have been the final straw in a long series of stresses.

Collette raised her hand to meet that of her Queen, and continued talking in her place. "I thought that this would be around the time everyone was talking, with the meeting ending and everything. I wanted to make sure I got to speak to everyone."

"The pleasure is ours, Lady Collette. And never mind us, how are you doing? We hear that you had a run-in with the terrorists yourself." Asgore asked, moving from his spot near the window so Willow could have his too-small seat and space for Collette.

Collette let her gaze narrow as she tried to recall the day's events. "I'm…I'm okay. I was attacked by a magic user for sure. There was young-looking girl there, with pink bangs that stuck out from under her beret, and she seemed to be working with someone else too. Someone who had the power to knock out an intelligence agent without even touching them. The girl's name was Raven. The attacker would have been a person named Crow, and then Cage…"

Willow picked up, still sniffling. "Their leader. Cage is definitely an alias. We don't have anything on the guy, neither does the EU. But from Undyne's and Sans' account, it seems like he knows a lot about you."

Frisk sighed, sinking back to the floor and resting against the tall cabinets of the hospital room. "Well, we certainly have gotten popular. A ton of the monsters know about us. I guess he could have found out about us from them. But…"

"It's hard to imagine anyone just…giving up information to a person like that." Toriel said, looking clearly concerned at the thought of any monster being so quick to betray their own.

Sans lowered his head, closing his eyes as he racked himself on the identity of a possible informant. "oh, I can think of a few. but it's pointless to ask now, i think. especially when the damage is already done." He opened his eyes and turned to Collette, still gripping Toriel's paw. "the real question is, what do they want?"

"That's actually want I came to tell you. The EU's intelligence team was contacted during the security briefing. Apparently, Cage has something he wants to say, and he's set himself up to tell the entire world."

Sans looked up. "oh. when?"

"Right about now."

* * *

After wrangling the hospital staff to bring in a second screen,the entire room gathered around to watch the livestreaming of Cage's address to the world. The entire room was tense and quiet, heavy from the apparent reality of their situation and their new world. So, it understandably took everyone by surprise when the black splash screen gave way to a young man flanked by four people in uniforms, vizors and hats concealing any discernible features. It was immediately clear to everyone who had seen him that this was indeed Cage. Toriel on instinct clutched her side. Frisk looked like they wouldn't make it through the announcement.

"Alphy, are you getting this? Are all of the castle staff watching?" Undyne asked, turning away from her wrist-mounted computer to face her partner. Her voice was measured (which was already rare for someone as loud as Undyne), but she wore a worried expression that few outside of Alphys rarely got to see. Undyne's rare moment of distress added to the room's unease.

"T-They are! We're running recognition software as we speak and so is Cascadia! We'll probably have a match soon if he's spent any time in Oakland or Grand Ebbot City." Alphys had changed the camera angle to show the entire situation room, which was filled with the rest of the royal guard. It seemed as if everyone truly had gathered to witness this moment.

"To all the people of London, the European Union, and the world, I am Cage! A freedom fighter who fights for those left behind by society and all who yearn for a just world. Five years ago, monsters appeared from the underground and radically upended the natural order of the world. Instead of integrating into Humankind, they've sequestered them off from society and used their domain to affect the course of human politics! Their actions have destabilized the order of world and ruined the lives of millions who've suffered from their own backwards policies. We must have justice! However, we are not cowardly and inept terrorists like the Human Liberation Front, who foolishly preyed on the lives of the innocent. We represent something greater, the will of a people who wish to know peace in our time!

Nearly one hundred years ago, humanity teetered on the brink of nuclear annihilation. Out of the ashes of rose a coalition of voices willing to put aside our differences and unite to create an era of peace unprecedented in our world's history. But the arrival of the monsters has changed everything, and today we find ourselves closer to another global war than ever before! People across the world are being displaced from their ancestral homes at the whims of those who don't care less about the diaspora they're causing. Law-abiding humans are being forced to make space for those who refuse to make space for us. And at the threat of assault from their magical powers, an entire country has bended over backwards to allow them to do whatever they want. It's sickening how many nations have flocked to the side of the oppressor. How long must we be held hostage by terrorists who consistently refuse to play by the rules of our world? Why must the powerless suffer at the hands of those who hold all the power? We cannot and will not let another billion people die from the arrogance of those who wish to plunge our world into darkness.

To all those forgotten by the world, rally to our side! Too all those who wish to see the world in chaos, bear witness to your inevitable fate! We are the Order of the Black Cauldron, a group of humans blessed with the ability to wield the monster's own weapon against them: Magic. For nearly a century, it's been our job to protect the balance of our planet. Together with the help of everyone who seeks peace, we will be the ones will stand in judgment of this world."

* * *

As abruptly as it started, the stream ended, with the serious face of Cage and his four stoic captains replaced by a logo of a steaming black cauldron. The entire room was left to sit in silence, stunned by the sobering news that for the first time since their ascension, there was a group with enough power to threaten all of them.

Undyne was the first to speak up, her face full of confusion and anger. "So…that's it? You got to be fucking kidding me. How dare they say all of that garbage about us! They're just cosplaying humans with magical powers? I mean, I get that they caught us off guard before. But we're strong as balls! We went through a thousand years of hell and suffering to make it this far. There's no way were ever going to fall to them. Right, Asgore"

Undyne turned to Asgore for support but he was too lost in thought to acknowledge her immediately. He leaned upon the windowsill and rested his head upon his furry paws before turning and raising his gaze to meet Toriel's, where he only saw the confirmation of his worry reflected at him. Asgore could feel his heart begin to sink in his chest as he began to articulate his thoughts. "Cage…his powers remind me of someone from long ago. During the war, there were the seven humans who used their power to seal us underground. But behind them all, there was an eight, a special sage who could use his magic to neutralize the magic of others."

"It is possible that this power still exists in the world," Toriel spoke up, leaning up in her bed to able to address the others and Alphys more clearly, "But the war between humans and monsters started over a millennia ago. All of the humans who participated at that time are most definitely dead."

"SO THEN, WHO IS THIS PERPEXING PERSON!? HE'S NOT A MONSTER! BUT COULD HE BE DESCENDENT FROM OWN HUMAN ROYALTY? BAH! THIS IS ALL SO WEIRD! I CAN'T WRAP MY HEAD AROUND _ANY_ HUMAN USING MAGIC, MUCH LESS A MAGICAL HUMAN WHO TAKES MAGIC AWAY!'

Undyne looked completely stunned "I-Is it really possible!? A magic that _takes_ magic away? How is that even possible?"

"M-m-maybe he's not a person at all! Maybe they're just monsters in disguise!" Alphys said, trying to keep the best calm face she could as she furiously typed away at her console. The dog corps behind her were barking up a storm, despite Red's attempt to keep them calm.

Queen Willow spoke up, leaning down to hear the chatter in Collete's radio as they made eye contact with the rest of the group "I don't know a lot about monsters, but Cage doesn't seem to strike me as anything else but human, physically and psychologically.

"So, lemme get this straight. That human can take away people's power's? Just like that? And magic like that existed before?" Undyne asked, putting her hand on her hip and running her hand over her scaly head.

Asgore looked up and shot her a distant look. "It has. During the war, I watched my father do battle against him. We had been chased across Siberia before we decided to make a stand before the ocean. He had fought the seven sages before, but this man, he was different. He had appeared out of nowhere, and without warning, I watched my father stripped of the power that allowed him to fight. As fearless of a man he was, his physical skill was no match for human determination and their sheer overwhelming power. He found himself in trouble that day. I fear that we will all find ourselves in trouble soon."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room after Asgore grim's words. Frisk shifted their position and lifted their head to face the others, causing everyone to turn their focus to them. Their expression was broken, characterized by a lifelessness that very few people in the room had ever seen before. The sight of such a gloomy Frisk clearly caused Toriel and Willow great discomfort. Frisk softly, then loudly uttered "What…what do they want? Why would they attack us now, and hurt so many people? Why would he end the peace we created?"

Queen Willow stood up and walked over to Frisk, bending down to wrap their arms around them. She pulled Frisk in close and embraced them, rubbing their back as she felt Frisk tremble in grasp. She tried her best to soothe them.

"Frisk, love, this isn't your fault. You can't beat yourself up for not being there. We didn't know. We did what we thought we had to in order to protect who we love. That's no one's fault but Cage's."

Frisk pulled back from Willow, letting their own magic overtake them and their spiritual pressure release in a blast that rattled the entire room. The burst drew out Willow's SOUL and caused Collette to nervously shift a little in her wheelchair, but she neglected to move forward when Willow was the only one to not flinch at Frisk's outburst. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Toriel doing the same, pained that she couldn't move from her bed and comfort her grieving child. Frisk directed their sorrow at Willow's deep, yellow eyes. "But I could have done something! I have the power to! If I had been there, things may have been different. Things might have…"

Their red drained from their irises, leaving the bright milky brown that Willow was so used to. Frisk slumped forward into willow's arms and began sobbing over what they felt like were their many failures. "Willow! How am I supposed to forgive myself for what happened today? Everyone believed in me! And this turned into a disaster! What am I supposed to do with the blood on my hands?"

Willow gripped Frisk tighter, rubbing their back as they finally let their emotions show to the group. Toriel began to cry as well, leaning in to embrace Sans, who remained uncharacteristically quiet as events continued to unfold. Papyrus let a rare frown show on their skull as they pondered what to do next and Undyne, furious that Cauldron had gotten the better of them, clutched her hands into tight fists as she kept her head down, lost in thought. Even Alphys, who had been preoccupied with the security of the settlement, settled the Dog Corps down and stopped to make sure that Frisk was okay. The situation room had fallen silent.

It was at this moment that Collette sat up. She took off her earpiece and turned to face the room. "Well, maybe you'll all get your chance a payback after all. The intelligence division has tracked the source of the broadcast to St. Paul's Cathedral. Cauldron is still in London."

Papyrus was first to express their shock "WHAT? HOW WERE THEY ABLE TO FIND THEM SO FAST? WHERE THEY ABLE TO STREAM IT BACKWARDS?"

Alphys chimed in. "Not quite Papyrus! It's actually quite easy, especially since they used Creek! It's such a popular video sharing site, so there was barely any protection at all. Think of it as just following a stream of water back to the source!"

"so, what you're saying is that they wanted to be found then. i don't know kid. sounds a little too convenient for me." Sans finally said, turning away from Toriel to voice his concern. His trademark smile never dropped, but the intonation in his voice suggested that he too was as furious about the day's events as Undyne was.

"It is a trap, then." Asgore said "They wanted us to find them, but why? What do they gain from having us come after them?"

Collette took up Asgore's question. "Maybe…maybe this is what they wanted the entire time? I know they wanted access to Frisk. Maybe this is their way of getting them."

Undyne began to move through towards the door "I don't know, but I can tell you what they're going to get, and that's an ass-kicking from me! Like hell am I letting these terrorists threaten our kingdom!"

"Wait, Undyne! Before you go off on your own! I know you've had to deal with the bureaucracies of the EU all day, but it's important that we let the European Union decide when to strike! This is their territory, and as much as Cage slighted us, Luxembourg has taken control of the operation. We have to let them lead the way."

"Ngahh! Fine." Undyne scoffed as she slid down into her seat. "But I'm just not going to let these humans ruin everything we've worked for. No matter what your government says, I *am* going out there."

Frisk collected themselves and sat up to face the group. "Me too. I have to stop Cage. If what you say is true, dad, about his ability to cut off the magic of others, I have to be the one to face him. He may slow me down, but he can't stop a human."

Toriel protested. "My child, are you sure about this? This man…Cage is strong. Even on your own, I worry about your ability to fight him."

"Duchess, do not worry." Willow stood up drew out her own magic, summoning the two bullet orbs she had used against Frisk earlier in the morning. Her resolute demeanor stood in contrast to the worry that shown on Toriel and now Collette's face, who instinctively backed away at Willow's display of magic. "I will accompany Frisk into the Cathedral. Cage won't be able to stop us both. Together, we'll overwhelm him and take him down."

She turned to Collette and melancholically said "I'm sorry for keeping this from you, all of this time. I didn't want to burden you with the knowledge that I had magic. But I've been working on it, all of this time. I want to be someone who can defend my country, just like you and Justin. I want to uphold everything the Crown stands for."

Collette wore shock and worry all over her face. "But, your highness, you can't expect me to let you go in all on your own! You're the future of this nation! You have no heir! What will happen if-"

"Collette! I have to do this! If we fail tonight, there's far more at stake than just the future of Britian! Of the EU! If we let Cauldron get away…there's no telling what they could do next. You saw what they did to our forces at Pendragon. Those with magic have to lead the way."

Collette took a long look into Willow's yellow, resolute eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "I can't stop you, can I?"

Asgore at that moment stepped forward. "I'll go with them. Together, the three of us can stop Cage. I know what we're up against. I have the best chance of protecting the….the…"

He stopped short of saying children, flushing slightly as he caught the irony in his words. Toriel scowled at him before muuttering her affirmation. "Yes, send Asgore. He certainly the strongest of any of us, physically at least."

"THEN I SHALL GO AS WELL! SOMETHING TELLS ME YOU'LL BE NEEDING THE MIGHT OF A SERIF ON THIS MISSION! AND I SHALL BE HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE."

"Actually Papyrus," Asgore began, "I would like it if you stayed here at the hospital and protected the Duchess. We don't know who could be coming after her, or putting any of the monsters in the quarter in danger. We'll need someone who we can move quickly."

Papyrus protested. "B-BUT YOUR HIGHNESS, MY RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF! WHAT ABOUT THE PLOT ON MT. EBOTT? OR OUR DEPLOYMENT AS PEACEKEEPERS DURING THE CRISIS! THAT WAS AN EXEMPLARY JOB BY THE SKELETON CREW! WHAT IF YOU'LL NEED ME THERE? WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS?

Undyne turned to Papyrus and placed a hand on the round shoulder of his body armor. "Paps, we promise. If we need anything, you're going to be the first one we call. We trust you, okay? You're one of the coolest and toughest guys around! We know you put up a good fight."

Papyrus hesitated at first, his thoughts vacillating between trusting his best friends and the sheer length of time (two years) it took for him to be instated as a member of the royal guard. Even his title as Marquees made him the lowest ranking noble of the royal party. But taking in Undyne's trademark smile made his bones soft. "ALRIGHT UNDYNE, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME! I'M THE FASTEST SKELETON THIS SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC, AFTER ALL! WELL, I'M SORT OF THE ONLY SKELETON BESIDES MY BROTHER, BUT NO MATTER! I STAND READY"

"that's my bro. saving the day like always. what would we do without you?" Sans offered a genuine smile at his brother, lifting Papyrus' spirit substantially.

"So, the stage has been set? We all know who's going? I'll let Justin know, and he'll inform command to start drawing us into their plans." Collette said, dialing Justin's communicator from her wristwatch.

Everyone looked around at each other, reading each other's faces for confirmation that this is what they all wanted to do. It remained unspoken, but the monster party understood that this would be their first real fight since their lives were threatened in the Kingdom's Battle for Independence, three years ago in an event called the Sovereignty Crisis. No one since then had to face any specter of war like they would have to face tonight. But everyone knew the consequences of what would happen they did nothing too.

Frisk motioned to leave, standing up and turning to Collette before letting the door close behind them. "Yes. Let Justin know that we're ready. And that we're not backing down until we've gotten justice."

* * *

_St. Paul's Cathedral, Lower Crypt  
London, England  
__Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 9:06 PM_

"Wow Cage, that was your best performance yet! Do you think that we were able to convince them?" Raven pulled off her modified plague doctor's mask and let her pink curly hair fall out from underneath her beret to her shoulders. "Our video's bound to have tens of millions of hits already, right Owl?"

The girl codenamed Owl stiffened at the mention of her name, but relaxed again as she started swiping away at her computer. "It seems so. Not to mention the several hundreds of news agencies that are already reporting on us now. It looks like we're the hottest topic across the world right now. The terrorists who disrupted the United Nations."

Cage dropped into a chair placed close to their recording set and released the leg brace that was keeping him upright as he tried to relax from the stress of the day. He responded "I hate being likened to terrorists. Terrorists harm innocent civilians and kill without mercy or reason. The last thing we need are run-of-the-mill extremists tarnishing our name.

"Ehhhhh. Me personally? I think we need all the help we're going to get. I don't know how we're going to get out of this one Cage. Especially with the EU closing in on us like we're sinners in church." Vulture leaned on his war scythe and looked over Owl's shoulder at her work, much to her chagrin.

"Hahaha. You're not funny, Vulture. And we don't need _their_ kind of help if all they're going to do is drag us down! Plus, Mr. Himbo's got a point there, Cage. How are we going to get out of this one? Whatever is this poor maiden, left alone in a secret underground crypt in the middle of London to do?" Raven leaned over the back of Cage's chair, doing the best "damsel in distress" position she could muster. Cage leaned down to avoid her and sent back a scowl in response.

"Don't call me a Himbo! Like you're one to talk, you airhead! This is the most serious situation of our lives and you can't even take it seriously! Some Legate you're supposed to be."

"I don't get it! What's the point of meeting the end of your life with all of this _drama_? We all knew what the risks were when we decided to do the London job. Why not meet the end of our lives with some fun?"

"Huhh? Are you an idi-"

"QUIET, you two! The plan will work!" Exasperated, Cage tightened and engaged his leg brace again as he limped over to Owl's workstation. "We've been using the stolen tech to pick up some of the EU's radio chatter. It sounds like they're going to come here just as we planned. And with any luck, Frisk will be among them. How could they not be, after all? I've threatened their so-call peace enough for even that ambassador to take note."

Owl turned around in her seat, looking nervously at Cage as she fidgeted with her hands. The computer screen in from of her flashed with the dots of enemy movements outside. "Cage! You shouldn't be moving too much! At least until I've had more time to heal you. It's dangerous."

"We're out of time, Owl. I'm going to have to fight too if we're going to make it out of London alive. I have to make sure everyone makes it through the fountain. And more importantly, that the other monsters don't follow us. There's no time to relax."

"Cage…I trust you. I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth. But is this plan worth your health? We're not even sure they'll come. And more importantly, are you sure the escape plan will work? Magical studies isn't my forte, and this theory is all theoretical. What if something goes wrong?"

Cage bent down to look Owl in the eye, taking her hand in his as he tried to reassure her. "You're so talented, Owl. More so than you ever know. I trust you with this. With us."

"Oh Cage! I love you soooooo much! I can't help but be lost in your beautiful brown eyes~! Kiss me like you kiss your French girls!" Raven mocked them from behind, drawing a disappointed frown from Cage and a death glare from Owl. "Awww Cage, don't go playing favorites on us! After all, everyone knows that mysterious and beautiful Raven is clearly your favorite member here!"

Cage, frowning, turned to Raven posing in the corner, giving her a look that could only be categorized as '_You don't really expect me to answer that, do you?'_ He then turned back to Owl and confided in her the last portion of their plan. "Whenever you're ready, go ahead of us, okay? We have to make sure we make it off the mountain undetected. We'll do our best to make sure Alphys is distracted here. But it's so important that you and the other members make it out of London alive. When the clock strikes 1:30, we'll lose our chance. We can't let them take that from us."

"W-Whaaa!? You really intend on facing Frisk alone?"

Vulture smiled, hitting the ground with his scythe as he affirmed himself to Owl. "Hey, the old man's not alone! He's got us! The _real_ group of 'strongest humans in the world'. Nobody's trained or fought like we have. Some monsters and a kid aren't going to be a problem."

Quiet until now, Crow spoke up from the back of the room. "We got it."

Blushing, Owl responded "A-Alright. I promise. I'm almost done here. I just need to bring the sensors down in Mt. Ebott and we'll be ready. We'll have to wait until the operation starts in order to have some cover, but Alphys is just one person. She can't handle it all."

"Good. Crow, Vulture, Raven. You know your placements. I'll be counting on you all in this upcoming battle. Cauldron cannot lose. For the hope of all who believe in a better future.

"For the future of all mankind!" They all responded in unison. Raven beamed at Cage as she placed her right hand over her heart and snapped to attention. Vulture, still gripping his scythe in his left hand, did the same. Owl uttered the retort softer that the two of them had, but still offered a Cage a soft smile that embodied the trust and respect she had in him. Crow, who leaned against a pillar near Cauldron's makeship set, gave Cage a neutral expression but still let his hopefulness show through his eyes. Their determination was all the motivation Cage needed to continue forward.

"Right then. Give the word to all forces, across the world. Initiate Operation Salem at once.

* * *

**Notes:**

It's been a month since I last updated! ;w; I'm so sorry. School really came for me this semester, and I was unfortunately tied up with a lot of work before I was really able to work on my fanfiction at all. I'm happy to be able to get this 6,000 word chapter out though! And to be able to spend some time focusing on the characters. I had to cut a lot from this chapter to keep everything at a reasonable length, but I don't think that the story will suffer for it too much. After all, the climax is almost here.

My love for Code Geass probably comes through in this chapter ^^; Cage is definitely my idea of what a more emotional Lelouch would look like. Not to mention the over-the-top speech which I mirrored off of the Black Knight's introduction speech. I don't want to borrow too shamelessly, lol. But I thought a lot of this stuff would be so cool to see in a universe like Undertale.

I have such a wide world and story planned for this fic, and it's honestly one of the things I'm proud of the most in my life, so thank you so much for reading with me until now! Please keep reading to the end, and I promise to keep doing my best too.


	8. Resolve, Part 1

A/N: This chapter was a little longer than I was comfortable with (that's what happens when you never update LMAO), so I'll be posting it in two parts. The next chapter will be posted later on today or tomorrow. The "real" a/n will be then.

* * *

"_Magic? I never would have believed in it, you know? You always see those vintage kids cartoons on TV, about people going to magic school and stuff. Heck, if you believe some of these quacks out there, magic was supposed to have existed in Britain this entire time! But I didn't buy it. No one did. I mean, were we really supposed to? All this magic stuff sounded insane, and with technology being the way it is nowadays, who needs it? Even when the monsters appeared, it was easy to brush it off because well, they're monsters. We're humans. We're not like that. _

_But the things I saw that night. They sure did show us. I never could have ever imagined that I would have to fight other humans who can use magic. I certainly didn't see us losing as many men as we did then either. I mean, what, there were like fifty of us? And they had maybe half that at best? We thought it would be easy. We have laser-guided bullets that travel three times the speed of sound and can still arc to hit their targets. We have grenades that will stick to their targets and eviscerate them from the inside out. And that still wasn't enough to stop them from shattering my buddy's heart mere feet away from me. All it took was a couple hits from a magic ball of light. _

Elias Meier, Commandant in the 4th Special Operations Division of the European Defense Union Navy.  
Special Interview on "The Pendragon Incident" by Euronews, March 15, 2121

* * *

_Walbrook London, England  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 11:40 PM_

Despite the full emergence of spring, a sharp cold wind rustled Frisk's hair as they sat and gazed at St. Peter's Cathedral. In the evening since the broadcast, the European Union had moved quickly to isolate Cauldron, and Frisk, along with Queen Willow and King Asgore, would be responsible for leading a royal assault on the church. Their goal: To create a distraction large enough to allow for the forces led by Captain Undyne to enter and retake it from Cage. Dressed in the uniform loaned from the armory of the European Union's finest soldiers, Frisk tugged at their ill-fitting uniform as they tried to adjust it to fit their curves. As if size wasn't enough of an issue, knowing that Frisk was wearing the fatigues of another nation made them uneasy. Knowing it was a human nation made Chara feel even worse.

"Frisk, you're killing me! Wearing the uniform of humans!? And making me wear it too? How rude can you be!?"

"I had no choice," Frisk said, unamused by Chara's protests. "I don't have an armor to wear like Undyne or Asgore does. And we don't have anything to protect us from lasers or grenades like the Euros do. I needed something. We all can't be incorporeal ghost like you."

Chara scoffed but continued teasing anyway. "Rude. Speaking of rude, wow, I'm honestly kind of shocked. I never would have imagined you going off in there like you did earlier. Even I was scared for a bit."

Frisk took a heavy sigh "No tact, as usual."

"Honestly, if that's what you need right now, I can play along. I can be all "Frisk, I'm so sorry! *cries* I can't believe Cauldron would hurt our mom like that! We have to stop them!"

Frisk, unfazed, raised an eyebrow. "Is that not what you think already? You were never one for talking about your true feelings."

"Meh. It's not like I can do much anymore. There's no point in stressing over it. Plus, I can feel _your_ anger. I don't need to be angry for you when you have plenty of it yourself.

Frisk slammed their fist on the ground before becoming exasperated by their own emotions. They tried their best to not let a whimper sneak into their voice. "I-I'm trying to be better! I'm trying to do better. And part of that was the promise I made with you. I don't plan on killing anyone tonight. Not if…if I can help it."

"You think you'll be able to hold yourself to that"

"Don't you?"

Chara laughed. "Not in the slightest! This just confirms what we've already known, which is that there seems to be more garbage than we ever thought. We both sort of knew this sort of thing would happen soon, right?

Frisk leaned in more towards their knees. Their eyes dropped as their spirit did. "I just thought that…well, we could finally have our peace this time, you know? Everything was literally perfect until this morning. Sure, there are minor issues, and there always will be, but the world was on the verge of respecting us, of giving us our freedom. But now, everything's changed. I can't even reset now if I wanted to. And…"

Chara snarled. "That's just it, Frisk. You can't count on others to give you freedom. You have to take it. And I am looking forward to watching you take every bit of it from that scumbag Cage."

Frisk curled up again as they shifted their focus again to St. Peter's Cathedral ahead. As they became lost in thought, Queen Willow climbed up the ladder to the side of the building and sat against Frisk's back. She too was dressed in the tactical uniform provided to her by the European Union, with some small modifications to allow for greater protections on her arms and legs. Frisk made a mental note to tease her of their radically different dress later, when both of them could appreciate it.

Willow was first to begin. "I've never seen London from the rooftops before. Even during all of this, the city looks tranquil."

"Yeah, but you're also not facing the cathedral, which looks like exactly the opposite." Frisk retorted, and it was true. The church, usually lit by a couple of modest lights at night, was awash with light and surrounded by a sea of emergency vehicles as the European Union prepared to assault the building. Frisk moped as they looked at it. "What a spectacle. Cauldron's really outdone themselves now."

Willow sighed. "Frisk, we'll make this right. We'll stop Cauldron and save your family. I'm sure of it. And they'll always be another chance to bring the world together again."

Willow had hoped to get a smile or at least some affirmation out of Frisk, but they remained quiet. Disappointed, she decided to change the topic.

"So Frisk, tell me again about human magic users. What kind of people are we going to be facing tonight?"

Frisk picked their head up to answer. "Well, you remember the seven soul colors, right?"

"Yeah. Light Blue for patience, Orange for bravery, Dark Blue for integrity, Green for Kindness, Purple for Perseverance, my soul, which is Yellow for justice, and then there's your soul, which is…"

"Red. For determination. Huh, better than I thought. Sounds like you managed to fit in some homework time between running an entire country."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Trust me, it's harder than it looks. And their attacks. Everyone is different, right?"

"Exactly. So, while there's people that can, like monsters, channel their magic into unique forms or objects, the majority of magic users I've encountered can only make simple bullet patterns out of what I call "friendliness pellets." You were the same way, until I returned for this conference."

"Speak for yourself! The last time I saw you, you couldn't do much of anything but dodge. And now, you can make your sword glow red! And it shoots laser beams!" Willow let herself giggle and gave a slight smile to the night. "It's like you're an anime character from another time. Incredible."

Frisk lowered their head as that statement gave them pause. "From another time, huh…"

Before either of them had the chance to expand on that topic further, the both began to hear the access ladder to the roof creak and moan as Asgore lumbered his way to the roof. His stature far exceeded anything the MI6-owned flat was ever designed for. He gave them a deep chuckle as he settled in on the roof. He stood next to them in the battle armor that Frisk once faced him in, a moment that now felt as if was lifetimes ago. "Well, I don't think the builders of this apartment ever expected a monster like me to be on top of it! I guess I was a tad bit too large for the frame."

Asgore's bad impression at an English accent and self-referential jab at himself caused Willow to outright laugh, but Frisk resisted Asgore's attempt at comedy. "Should we really be joking right now? We have a serious fight ahead of us that we have to be ready for."

Willow turned slightly to visibly scowl at her friend, but Asgore simply smiled at the both of them. "You may be right, young one. I don't doubt that this fight will be anything other than rough. But being tense about it isn't going to make me any more ready. Being with you two, however, most definitely will."

Frisk stood up and faced their adoptive father, tears welling in their eyes. Skeptical, they carefully measured their response to avoid a repeat of earlier. "Oh? And how is that, exactly?"

Asgore's smile never faltered. "It's because you both remind me why I continue to fight in the first place. Everything I love, everything I want to protect, it's right here. And being able to be by your side is more than enough to always keep me smiling."

Frisk's tough façade began to fall to pieces, and they embraced Asgore's tough metal body for as long as they could manage before settling and holding their dad's large paw in their hands. Willow looked on and smiled as she began to respond to an incoming voice message.

"Pen One, this is Pen Three. The operation's ready to go. Are you?"

Willow stood up and dusted herself off before facing the other two. "Yeah, we're ready. I give my final blessing for the operation. You're free to move."

Her confirmation was the signal they needed to alert everyone via their comm links and send out a virtual flare. Asgore and Willow both summoned their magical weapons and Frisk looked inward to draw on their determination as the three of them both moved to the edge of the building. In a minute more, the operation to retake the cathedral would finally begin.

* * *

_Paternoster Square, London, England  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 11:45 PM_

"Ahhh, this feels so much BETTER! How much longer until the start of the operation!? I'm ready to start dispensing my own brand of Justice!" Undyne stretched in her royal armor at the foot of the Temple Bar Gate, grinning at the familiar creaking and clanking of her own sayian-shaped metal. Behind her scurried a camp full of European Union operatives in much more modern-looking equipment. None of them looked as calm as Undyne in the slightest, but to her surprise, a near-constant stream of orders from a tired-looking Sir Justin Greenwood was enough to calm many of them down.

"Five minutes. I swear, these guys can take on political terrorists and bomb-equipped drones, but they begin to lose their head at the slightest mention of magic."

Undyne let out a laugh. "NGAHH! I'll take them all on! I'm so strong, those cauldron grunts won't know what hit them. I'm even more excited that there's plenty of punks to spare!"

Justin nervously laughed as Undyne brought two passing soldiers into a headlock and noogied the both of them. "Your confidence never ceases to amaze me, Undyne. But before you absolutely destroy these two fine people, I have something to give you." He reached into his pocket and materialized an ear-mounted communicator designed specifically for Undyne's large fins. "Here, take this. It's what we briefed you on earlier. It'll allow you to communicate with us during the mission."

Undyne, noticeably less excited about the human tech, fidgeted with the earpiece and extended the thin sheet of glass over her remaining eye Making a thinly-veiled attempt to hide her fake excitement at having to wear so much extra equipment, she said "Gee Justin, I'm not so hot with human tech. What's the little glass thing for again?"

"Oh!" he smiled and stepped over to Undyne's right. "I'm sure you'll love this feature!" And with a click of a button on the side of the earpiece, the HUD flashed to life to show, among other things, a clock, a small map with several dots, and a microfeed of a coffee-sipping Alphys at her monitor in Grand Ebott City.

"ALPHYS! It's you!" Beaming, she now turned to a smiling Justin. "Don't tell me I'll get to talk to my wifey the entire mission!"

Flushed, Alphys spoke up. "H-Hey Fishcake! Umm, sort of! I'll have to switch to audio communication only once the fighting starts. But for now, video is okay too!"

Justin, looking like his job was done, swung his hands to his back and turned to walk towards the makeshift command center. "Well, it looks like my work here is done. Alphys will be providing your team with up-to-date readings on any magic shenanigans, and I'll be in the tent directing the mission from there. Together, we shouldn't have a problem."

Alphys put on her best determined face. "Yeah! I'm also taking to Frisk and Asgore! I'll be able to connect everyone to what I find out here back in the capital! All of this technology is gonna be good for something! I-I just…I just wish I could fight with everyone too."

"Alphy! it's okay!" Undyne flailed her arms as she tried to comfort her love from afar. "You're doing an AWESOME job being the smartest, prettiest, nerdiest person here! Forget these brit whits! All I need is you!"

Justin made it a point to audibly moan as he stepped up the stairs into the command center. Over the intercom, he addressed the pair. "I'm sorry to break you two lovebirds up, the square that I am. But I just dispatched Frisk to begin the rooftop operation. We'll be sending out the drones so too. So…"

Undyne eye filled with excitement "So you mean!"

"Yep. It's time to go."

* * *

_Cordwainer, London, England  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 11:50 PM_

At a speed that almost bewildered Willow, Frisk took off towards the edge of the roof, their eyes turning scarlet as they used their magic to take the first leap over the busy street below and onto the next building. Willow hesitated at first, but Asgore scooped her up as he too effortless began to hop between buildings.

"Wow Asgore, I didn't know you do this kind of stuff! N-no offense about your size of course."

Asgore simply smiled as he put his focus towards not busting a hole in the glass roof they now ran across "Once you've been alive as long as I have, there's little you can't do. Even then, I'm surprised that Frisk, on the other hand…"

"…can do all of this..."

Frisk looked as if they were letting their emotions go. Furious, they continued ahead of the group, clearing Queen Victoria Street once again with a single bound. Chara coached them as they continued over the tops of the city's buildings.

"Get ready to jump…now!

Be careful of this ledge, it's glass, and if you push off as hard as you did before, you're gonna break it.

Aim for the square building, you'll have better footing."

From behind, Asgore endeavored to keep up with his child, moving slow but measured at a fair distance behind them. Willow, somehow calm in Asgore's arms, called forward to them on her intercom. "Frisk, slow down! We can't keep up with you at this pace!"

Frisk was at first reluctant to respond but then shot back "We need to move quickly. If they see us coming, we'll never reach the cathedral." They jumped off the building onto a conglomeration of flats next door, only to find that Cauldron had already beaten them there. Two Cauldron members that had been focusing on the street below turned their attention to focus on Frisk instead. "Fuck. We may be too late. We've got company."

Now only two blocks from the cathedral, it looked like these two Cauldron members had been stationed there to perform reconnaissance for the main force. One of them, a slender-looking pale human who hid their defining features in the group's standard witch doctor mask and beret, engaged Frisk's soul while the other reached up to turn on his communication link. Both posed a threat to Frisk and the group.

Chara pushed Frisk into action. "Frisk, prioritize the one with the link! If they know we're here, the operation will fall apart!"

"Right!" Frisk rushed forward, and before the radio-speaking grunt could speak, Frisk quickly drew their sword and knocked them out with a quick chest jab. The grunt let out a wheeze before crumbing to the floor of the roof, and the other member, ready to fight, wasted no time in responding to Frisk's aggression in kind. They pivoted and jumped in order to avoid a close barrage of bullets.

"Y-You! You're him! The ambassador! The source of all this madness!" The grunt leaped backwards to avoid Frisk's sword, readying himself to fight back against the crimson-eyed child.

"I'm at fault here!? You have got to be kidding! You're the ones who have caused all of this chaos, who ruined our perfect future!" Frisk dashed under the next hail of bullets and brought their katana to the front of the grunt's neck. They spoke coldly as their eyes flared with emotion. "This is the only chance I'm giving you. Stand down and you will not get hurt. I don't want to hurt you."

The grunt, pressured to his knees, let out yelp as he fell. Despite his near-death situation, he began talk with a nervous confidence in his voice. "You think you've won? You have no idea kid what kind of power you're messing with, kid. The witches of Cauldron have many, many spells." He pulled off his mask to reveal a set of pale blue eyes above his stubby chin. He let out a yell. "CROW, NOW!"

As if out of nowhere, a large figure jumped from under the edge of the building. Crow, a large, burly-looking man with bright but deep blue eyes and decked in metal greaves and knuckles, was silhouetted by the moon as loomed in Frisk's direction. But, as soon Frisk focused their attention on them, they felt an intense gravity pull them towards the roof, a gravity so intense that neither Chara nor them had felt it since their genocide runs so many years ago. Struggling to regain their footing, they could only watch as Crow pulled back and began to let blue-colored energy gather around his left fist.

"Sans!? No wait, it can't be! But then, this gravity-!" Frisk said.

Chara responded with vitriol in their voice. "It's _him_. That human who appeared out of nowhere. And you see that? He has no mask. That means…"

"You! You're a leader then! Who are you?"

Crow looked on, narrowing their eyes as they surveyed Frisk one more time before firing. "I have no need to explain my identity to the dead. Goodbye."

But before he could fire, Asgore appeared from the top of the previous building, soaring just high enough to be level with Crow. At that moment, Willow jumped off their back and sacrificed her bullet orbs to stop Crow and Asgore slashed him with his trident, smashing him into the roof of the next building and causing considerable damage. Crow's attack exploded in the air, and if they're yelling hadn't been loud enough, the entire neighborhood certainly heard them now.

Willow gracefully landed on the building and ran to help Frisk to their feet. "Frisk, you nearly got yourself killed there! Try not to run off next time, yeah?

Frisk groaned as they stumbled to their feet. Shame rushed to their face. "Ugh, I feel like I just got launched into space. Thanks for the save, I guess I got…a little carried away there."

"It's okay. This is a tough time, and no one could have predicted that they would have people waiting here. There's no way they could have known we were coming."

"But then…how?"

Crow grunted as he stood, his eyes still awash with Integrity. He sized his new opponent up before engaging Asgore's SOUL and turning it blue. "Lucky guess. And shot."

Never one to pass up a jab, Willow said "Hah! Your deadpan manner is almost funny. I didn't know we'd have another comedian on our hands." She mockingly let her voice drop as she stared Crow down. "Don't think you're going to get lucky again."

The grunt, who had managed to scramble behind Crow in the chaos, consulted his boss for orders. "Crow, sir! Now that we know where the subversives are, should we contact the other Legates? We're going to need backup to take all of them down."

Frisk began to worry. "No! We can't let them do that!" They picked up their sword and rushed forward, but before they could make contact, Asgore moved first, stomping across the roof to take a swing at both the Cauldron operatives. Crow easily blocked Asgore attack and dug in as he faced a standoff with the King of Monsters.

Asgore turned and head and attempted to grunt words through the strain. "Frisk, Willow, go on ahead! The operation _must_ continue as planned. You have to stop Cage! You're the only ones who can do it."

Frisk hesitated; they turned around to look at Willow, who, after a fleeting moment of worry, nodded in affirmation to Asgore's concerns. Gripping their sword, they let the blade turn red as rushed past Asgore and Crow, striking the grunt and crumpling him to the spot where he stood. Crow moved to respond, but Asgore's refusal to let up slowed him down, giving both the royal children time to get away from him. Willow, however, looked aghast at what Frisk had done.

"FRISK! Did you…did you just kill him!? I don't see any blood, but…"

Frisk looked to confirm Willow's successful jump and then immediately took off, once again moving towards the cathedral. Yelling behind them, Frisk said "It'll be okay. I attacked his SOUL directly by imbuing my blade with magic. He'll hurt when he gets up, but he's alive. Never mind him though! We're almost there! We have to keep moving!"

As satisfied as she could be, Willow fell in line, and the two of them cleared another street as they inched ever close to the bright light of St. Paul's Cathedral.

* * *

_Paternoster Square, London, England  
Thursday, April 25__th__, 2120. 11:55 PM_

_BOOM!_ With a large bang, the barricaded door separating the grounds from the crypt of the cathedral was blown open, and several small drone robots, no bigger than a trash can, navigated down the stairs to the crypt where Cauldron was presumably hiding. From the mobile command center, Justin watched from his console as the robots fanned out in the lower level and started scanning for whatever they could find.

Sir Greenwood looked weirdly confident. He leaned back in his chair and said "Huh, with twenty-five people being kept in this small basement, you'd think they'd put up more of a fight. So far, we haven't seen anyone."

One of his officers spoke up, scanning the consoles as he spoke. "Sir, it's pitch black down here, they took the lights out. Switching the drones to infrared mode…now."

Almost at the second he did so, Justin and his officers watched as each of the drone feeds go fuzzy as each of them lost contact. The shock sent the still-injured noble to his feet, flabbergasted that they could have coordinated something like that all at once. It didn't take long at all for them to change the momentum to their side.

"Incredible, connection issues at a time like this? So much for top-notch European technology." He sat back in his chair and let the urgency in his voice fade. It was almost like he was telling himself not to worry. "Do you have any response from the drones?"

"My Lord, I-I don't understand how this could happen! They shouldn't have access to this sort of technology. You don't think that-"

Justin, sounding almost bored, cut him off and picked up his communicator. "I do. Unfortunately, my next best guess seems to be correct. Send in the special forces. Tell them to make sure nothing comes out of the door we just blew up. And remember, target-guided ammunition only! We want to avoid as little damage as possible!"

"But I don't understand, how are we supposed to counter this?"

Justin smiled. "Undyne, the stage is yours. Don't go too crazy in there."

Just as he said that, everyone in the command trailer paused as a large bang erupted from the front of the cathedral. From the dust appeared Captain Undyne, making quick work of any grunt she could see as she dashed forward into the interior of the cathedral. The radio was filled with her cackles as she continued to hopelessly dominate passing enemies.

"NGAHHHH! These people are nothing! Justin, you were worried about this? I'm barely facing any resistance from these fools. Your upgrades to my armor were great! Plus, their magic barely has any effect on me! They're just too weak!"

"Be cautious," Justin responded "There may be people that we yet know about in there. After all, our intelligence seems to imply there are two more bosses that have yet to reveal themselves."

Undyne ducked behind a pillar near the end of the nave to avoid a stray magic bullet. She readied a line of spears behind her as she scoped out the path across the hall to the stairs downstairs. "Oh yeah? If they haven't shown themselves yet, can they even really be a threat?"

Of course, it would be just at that moment that someone would have to appear.

Alphys, over her voice line, spoke up. "Undyne, be careful! I'm suddenly picking up a spike in magical energy in your vicinity! It matches the ones we felt earlier at the palace. Keep your eyes open."

"THIS IS YOUR END, MONSTER SCUM! Prepare to die!" An unknown figure jumped from the Whispering Gallery, brandishing a black carbon scythe with a chain attached to the end. While it didn't appear to be sharp, Undyne took no chances in jumping back and knocking the attacker back with a well-timed spear. The two stood at opposite ends of the pews as more Cauldron fighters closed in around her. The person in front of her appeared to be a short, masculine person with bangs and a soft, clean face that most certainly betrayed their true age. Their bright purple eyes illuminated the scowl that painted their face.

The mystery person continued. "So the so-called Spear of Justice decides to grace us with her presence? I should feel so honored to be able to fight such a strong opponent! A worthy battle for someone of my caliber indeed."

Undyne scoffed confidently at the bright-eyed hothead. "Says a lot about your caliber then that I haven't even heard of you until now! Leave it to a pretty-faced human like you to be so full of yourself that you think you can crash an entire peace ceremony!"

"Peace ceremony? Like hell that would have been! Just admit that your plan all along is just to subjugate humanity. If you'd really believed in peace, you monsters would stop forcing your will on others. But alas, it looks like I have to be the one that stands to set you straight!"

"Oh yeah? You should consider yourself lucky." Undyne said, drawing her spear and pointing it squarely at her attacker. "For the sake of everyone who believes in justice, I'm going to stop you right here! You-!"

The figure stopped them. "Vulture. They call me Vulture. I am a Legate in the Order of the Black Cauldron, and a direct descendant of the brave mages who once saved the world by locking away your kind." Vulture branded the scythe at their side. "One thousand years later, it looks like we're going to do it again. You ready for a rematch, monster!"

Undyne let a slight smile grow as she took hold of their soul and held them in place. She lowered her head as she talked and summoned a ring of spears around her. Some of the other Cauldron members even stepped back a bit. "You know, I was a little worried about this, about coming in here and hurting people a little too much. Don't get me wrong. I'm a girl who loves her fights, and I'd gladly take some punks like you down any day. But now…" She looked up with intense eyes and returned Vulture's confident scowl with a vicious smile of her own. "I'm thankful. You've given me a reason to not hold back on you any longer. I don't particularly care what your goals are. I don't care who you are. But I can feel deep down in my soul that for everyone I love, I'm stopping you right here. Do you think you're ready for that, human?"

Vulture looked as if they could barely hold in their excitement. They held their scythe out in a defensive position and returned Undyne's determined smile. "En garde, Captain Undyne. Let's make this a fight for the ages."


	9. Resolve, Part 2

_St. Paul's Churchyard  
Friday, April 26__th__, 2120. 12:03 AM_

As they approached the cathedral, Frisk could hear multiple explosions and sounds of gunfire coming from the vicinity. They paused on the top of the glass building overlooking the school and churchyard while Willow caught her breath behind them.

"Jesus Christ Frisk," Willow said, panting as she brought her hands to rest on her knees. She pulled out her commlink and followed up on the situation on the ground. "I know we're in a hurry, but rushing will get us nowhere! We already almost died on the way here, all of the bloody jumping isn't helping." She shot a protesting look at Frisk, who took her complaints with an expression of indifference. Their stoic demeanor upset Willow somewhat, but she was willing to let it go when she remembered that they were probably barely holding it together under the surface.

"We're already behind schedule. According to the radio chatter I can hear, it sounds like multiple groups have already made their move into the Cathedral. It even says here that Undyne breached already. They want us to breach through the back door, so we should hurry before anyone spots us."

Willow let out a deep sigh. "Fine. But are you sure that we're ready? We're gonna have to blow the door open, it's made of solid metal. And once we breach, we'll likely have to face _him_, and it doesn't sound like we did too hot last time."

Frisk tightened their face in anger as they reached down to grab the hilt of their katana. "That was because I wasn't here. Now that I am, I know I have the power to face him. I'm not letting Cage go without making him answer for what he's done." Frisk turned around and, unexpectedly, had their hand grabbed by Willow as she tried her best to assuage Frisk's worries. Frisk looked weary as they softened. "We'll get through this. I know it. I promise I won't lose myself in there. Look, I- "

"Don't even start it! Nope!" Willow yanked her hand back and she pretended to be angry at the ambassador. The truth was that she could hardly contain her happiness that Frisk wasn't all the way gone. "We'll have our sappy moments once we've captured Cage. But for now, I don't want to hear it out of you! Not. A. Word. I already promised myself that I wasn't going to cry until this was over." She relaxed and giggled a bit before looking over the ledge at the cathedral and the ensuring chaos surrounding it. "What do you want to do? Should we go together to blow the door?"

"Stay here. Cover me as I jump down and blow the door. Once I'm ready, I can do it and we can breach together. Does that sound okay?"

Willow hesitated, looking around the tops of the buildings before ultimately relenting. "Oh, okay. Just to be safe, take my extra handheld explosives. I'll wait here and be your eyes and ears."

Frisk offered a weak smile before turning and flatly jumping off One New Change and into the street below. It was surprisingly easy to clear the fence encircling the grounds, and even Frisk was surprised by how it easy it was to plant the charges. After only a few minutes, they tuned their communicator on and tried to pick up Willow. At first, Frisk tried to use the nonverbal signals, as they had been briefed to do before the mission. But one, two, three minutes eventually went by with no word from Willow. They decided to try a direct line.

"Pen One, this is Muppet Six. I'm all ready here, what's your hold up?"

The voice they then heard is not one they expected to hear at all.

"Go on love! Tell the royal whatever they want! I won't stop you."

Frisk's sweat ran cold as they drew their sword and sprinted through the grounds to the gate. From there, they could easily see that a Cauldron operative with pink hair had taken Queen Willow hostage. She wore the same uniform as the others, but kept two shields on her legs and what look like a large bladed spinner on her right wrist. However, instead of using those weapons, she opted for a handgun pointed directly at the back of the Queen's head. Willow, despite being able to activate her orbs in time, was powerless in the face of a handgun at point-blank range. She and Frisk both knew that there was no way her magic would travel far enough in time.

"Frisk! Go on without me! I'll be okay, I promise. If you stay, you'll get caught up too!"

"WILLOW! No, I'm not leaving you behind! I'm not putting any more of my family at risk tonight! And you! You pink-haired bitch, I know you can hear me! You'd better let her go!"

Raven laughed with a tinge of delight in her voice. She leaned in close enough to Willow's communicator to make sure that Frisk could hear her. "My my, I never would have imagined that the ambassador of such an important country would be so foul-mouthed. Now is that any way to talk to a person, especially when said person is holding the figurehead of an entire country hostage?" From the way she spoke, Frisk could tell there wasn't a serious bone in her body at all; her entire demeanor signaled that she saw the proceedings unfolding in front of her as if they were a game to be played. Willow and Frisk both as people to be played with.

"Frisk, it's a trap!" Willow said, visibly upset but not squirming enough to find out if Raven really would shoot her. "She doesn't intend to kill me, she just wants to-"

Before she could finish, Frisk quickly dashed across the street and out of view of Raven and Willow. Frisk ran down Cheapside and, in a panic, tried to consulted Chara on what to do next. Even in their mind, Chara could feel their partner's voice trembling and cracking as they tried to maintain their composure.

"No no no, Chara no! This can't be happening! Not now! Not _fucking _now after everything we've done! What do I do? I have to approach her a way that she won't be expecting, but-"

"Frisk, calm down, we can do this! How many times have we had to watch our friends be held hostage before? Reset or not, this doesn't make a difference. Compose yourself and focus! Plus, your anxiety makes me feel heavy. I hate it when I feel heavy."

"Y-you're right. I…I can do this. Oh god, I can do this." Frisk's heart continued to beat out of their chest as they tried to regain focus on their immediate surroundings. "What now? We need to get up there, but there's no natural footing, and climbing will take too long."

"Frisk, on your left, coming up! There's an alley there. With our energy, we should be able to wall jump up these walls, and then we can then…"

* * *

"Pshhh. That stupid kid. They actually think that they can get past me by going around the back? Do they think I got in on this game yesterday?" Raven circled around Willow's left side, keeping her spinner close to her neck as she brought her gun to face in the direction Frisk ran. "I'm under orders to not shoot you but I can and will shoot them, just you wait, little princess."

"Excuse me! I am a _queen, _thank you, and work hard to bring honor to that right, you…you terrorist!" Almost forgetting she was being held a knifepoint, Willow got a little flustered by that attack on her character. Raven fought herself to hold back a grin as she dragged Willow even further up the building and focused on the horizon. "I've led this country for three years and I will do so again after this entire crisis is over."

"Gosh, you're so easy! I'm happy that I got the job dealing with the excitable kids, you're so much more fun than any army brat I've had to go up against. And who can resist the charms of an upset lady, no?"

"Excuse me!? Are you literally hitting on the girl you kidnapped just now? Are we really doing this? Plus I'm 17 years old and clearly mature for my age! Meanwhile, you don't look a day over 40 dear, you should be proud."

Raven used the tips of her fingers to stroke Willow's chin as she took aim in front of her. Biting Raven's hand now would almost assuredly result in her slashing Willow's neck by accident or otherwise. She held back the urge as much as she could. "I'm 19, your highness." Raven said in a sarcastic tone. "I appreciate the compliment though, it gives me even more of a reason as to why I'm able to dominate you so well."

Willow blushed even more and had to restrain herself from turning on Raven then and there. Just who _was_ this idiot? Did she care a bit at all about her situation? Is she that confident in her fighting skills that she just isn't concerned? Or is it something else? Just as Willow was about to offer a retort, Raven shushed her and took aim at the top of the alley. Willow's anxiety spiked as she could do little but wait for what Frisk would do to get out of this one.

Raven smiled as she lined the sight up with the top of the alley. "That kid. I can feel their energy all the way over here. It's too bad, really. Keep your eyes open for this one, my fair Willow. _This_ is how you kill a monarch."

It happened in a second. Before Raven had a chance to fire, she had her handgun taken out of her hand by a sword that went flying past her. Recoiling, Willow took a chance to kick her to the floor and move free of the arc of her spinner. Extending her now free left hand to break her fall, Raven used the momentum to spin and knock Willow to her feet. Once back on her toes, she grabbed her spinner and swiveled as she looked for Frisk above the alley. But to everyone's surprise, Frisk appeared to Raven's right, far beyond the alley and well within the footprint of the building. Their red eyes shining amidst the night sky, Frisk held their sword above their head as they took aim at Raven.

She laughed. "A small sword!? Well done! I can't say I was expecting that, especially since I can't say I was expecting much of anything at all when we started. You've saved you friend! But all you've done is doomed yourself. Willow gasped as Raven blinked and her hazel eyes too turned Red. Before she could warn Frisk, Raven spun her spinner, producing a barrage of magic spinner attacks all aimed at Frisk. They responded in kind, swinging their sword in a powerful, wide arc that caused a beam to slice through all of Raven's attacks one by one. Not letting herself get sliced up, Raven jumped back to the edge of the building as Frisk's attack connected with a building and caused an explosion big enough to send shards of the building's glass ceilings to the floor below. Willow screamed as Frisk came to rest by her side.

"Willow! I'm sorry, are you okay? I made sure to aim around you as much as I could, I'm grateful that you're not hurt! I just, I didn't –"

It was Willow's turn to shush someone, this time Frisk. She was, however, far more serious that Raven ever was. She let herself go on her royal friend. "Frisk, darn it! I told you not to come back! I was going to be alright! She wasn't going to kill me. Her entire goal was to get you up here so wouldn't be down there. She's trying to keep you from breaching."

"Wha…wait, so this all was a distraction? You don't think that something's happening down there, do you?"

"I don't know, but I know that whatever's happening down there needs you more than I do up here." The desperation in Willow's voice was caught by her pleas. Frisk quickly looked around her to see Raven composing herself after the blast and taking an annoying look at the two of them from afar. Willow continued without paying her any care. "Frisk, listen to me. People down there are going to die if they don't get our help. You and I both know the threat that Cauldron poses to those without any sort of magic. We can't let this continue on while they hold us out here. I know I've been really hard on you by tonight but-"

"Could you two both hurry it up? I'm not gonna let you leave so whatever plan you're making is pointless." The whimsicality of Raven's voice had been replaced with mild annoyance. She cracked her neck as her now red eyes stared both of them down. Frisk exhaled at the thought of her too having powers of determination.

"Ignore her" Willow said "What's important is that you get down there and do what you can. I know you feel like you've failed somehow. Like all of this is somehow your responsibility for not being there, or not doing enough. But none of that matters now. All that matters is what you do next.

"I…I…don't – look out!" Frisk quickly picked up their thrown Wakizashi and stopped a weak magic bullet thrown by Raven. She continued to spin their spinner at them as she closed the distance, each shot with increasing intensity.

Willow summoned her Bullet orbs and pulled out the old pistol of her own. "Frisk, you've taught me well. So please, on my mark, get ready to make a break for it. She had a Red SOUL like you, right? I'll be on the lookout."

Frisk hesitated, but without responding or waiting, rushed to the edge of the building closest to them. They yelled as they ran and jumped off the edge. "It was easier that way! Don't die on me, okay? If you need help, you know where to find me!"

Willow smiled, muttering under her breath something about that being classic Frisk, and as expected, Raven made a break for the side of the building too. Her advance was soon stopped short by a hail of bullets blocking her way, and like it or not, now that Willow was back in fighting shape, Raven would be forced to contend with her first if she ever hoped to get anywhere.

"Kid, you don't know what you're doing." Raven said, possibly the first sentence she uttered this entire battle with anything but a smile on her face. "I've seen you. I know what you're capable of and I know you don't have the skills to take me on tonight. Do you really want Britain to lose its leader tonight?"

A shiver shot through Willow's body at Raven's sudden seriousness. She gripped her pistol tighter and aimed it square at Raven. "Even so! I can't give up! The future of this country depends on what happens here tonight! I'm…I'm not going to let my people down."

Raven's scowl turned to a full grimace as she rushed forward. "You stupid princess! We don't even want anything to do with your dumb country. Remember, you brought this upon yourself. You chose this!"

Willow stepped back to avoid a swing and then a roundhouse kick from Raven before using her forearm guards to stop Raven's return swing of her spinner. Now in a deadlock, she brought herself in and let her yellow eyes pierce Raven's SOUL as they both brought their powers to bare. She looked her dead in the eye and tightened her grip as she solidified her stance. The tables beginning to turn, she smiled as Raven's mood continued to sour: It was now clear that they both were in for a long fight.

"I told you. It's Queen."

* * *

Alone now, Frisk descended the back stairs of the cathedral into the crypt below. The normally brightly-lit basement had had nearly all of its lights taken out, so Frisk cautiously walked along the walls as they moved down the narrow staircase. At the other end of the crypt, they could hear the yelling of soldiers mixing with the voices of the remaining Cauldron members. Also, every now and then, there would be a large crash and the floor about would shake and rattle, dropping little pieces of rock to the floor and forcing Frisk to crouch for their protection. Given the fact that Frisk couldn't hear Undyne's characteristic yelling down here, they assumed the fish captain must be fighting upstairs. All around them, battles raged on between friend and foe, and Frisk could do little but stand by and watch. Eventually, Frisk reached a certain point where they could advance no further without guidance. As much as they didn't want to, they would be forced to call for help.

"Chara, this is awful. Can you see anything?"

"Hey buddy, I'm just you." they nonchalantly replied, "I can notice things if you can see it, but I certainly can't see anything you can't."

"Wonderful." Frisk sighed and clicked their communicator. Maybe a different approach would do the trick.

"Pen Three, this is Muppet Six. Can you hear me?"

"Looooud and clear. I can see that you made it to the crypt, congrats soldier." Frisk shuddered at being called that but let Justin continue. "Can you see Cage? We had you breach from the other end in hopes that you would see him."

"That's just it though, I can't see anything, let alone Cage. From the way it sounds back here, it sounds like I'll occasionally hear someone, but – wait!"

As they were speaking, a couple of Cauldron operatives came running to the back of the crypt. Two of them were carrying a wounded comrade while someone else, a feminine voice, gave them orders from the front. Frisk ducked back up the stairs to ensure they wouldn't be seen.

"….sure this would work right? We can throw him right in? I mean, he can walk but -" The two bent down as a spray of bullets whizzed by, ripping off pieces of rock as they connected with the wall.

"He's pretty badly hurt! You're sure there's a medic waiting on the other side?"

"Yes, but we need you here!" The person at the front of the group drew a magic bow and made four arrows of white light materialize in the dark, revealing a girl as the attacker. She shot them in front of her, illuminating the ruin of the crypt, and with a snap of her fingers, created a field that electrocuted everyone that happened to be between then. She then turned to usher the trio to what sounded like the end of the crypt.

"If he can walk, send him on his way down. Falcon is waiting for us all at the other end of the portal and will make sure he gets the medical attention he needs. But for now, we need to hold off the Brits as long as possible! Let this be a lesson to anyone else who wants to hold back. We have to give this our all if we're going to survive!

Frisk could hear the wounded soldier's grunts and the others helped him to his feet and slowly, he disappeared into the darkness. After he was well on his way, the others issued a verbal salute to the girl and all three of them ran forward to join the ensuring chaos at the other end of the crypt.

"Pen Three, are you getting all this? What does she mean by "on his way down?" I thought this was the lowest level of the cathedral?

Justin sounded genuinely surprised. "I…I thought so too. Hell, I lived here my entire life, I've been in and out of this cathedral so many times. I never noticed a level below the crypt. What did our plans say?"

A woman inside the command center spoke up. "My Lord! There are no such architectural plans that implied anything otherwise. Our planning staff confirms it."

"Then, I don't know. It's possible there could be more, but I can't confirm it from here."

Chara spoke up, annoyed. "Well obviously there has to be something down there! And if Cage isn't up here in this warzone (which I doubt he is), then he has to be down there."

Frisk nodded in agreement. They then voiced Chara's argument to the rest of the group. "It sounds like this lower area must be where Cage is. After all, we know he's still in London, and due to his wounds, he can't be fighting right now."

"F-F-Frisk, wait! Wait, um, I-I mean..Muppet Six..." Alphys said, surprising Frisk with her unexpectedly sharp voice in their ear. "I'm picking up very strong magic readings from right below you! The strongest I've felt since you've been in London! They're even identical to the magical energy found in the Underground. I think that something's down there."

"What, really? Ugh, this is so confusing. I don't know what to make it." Frisk said, inching along the wall to the spot where it sounded like the Cauldron operative disappeared out of earshot.

Chara egged their host on. "No choice left but to go down. Why waste our time up here?"

"Muppet Six here. I'm heading down there. It feels like there's a set of stairs embedded to the dais in here. I'm going to follow them and see where it goes."

Alphys held her tail and worried about Frisk from afar. "Be careful Frisk! I don't like how things seem down there. Don't do anything unnecessarily risky!"

"Pen Three agrees. Nevertheless, head in. We need to find Cage and put an end to this madness.

Frisk felt out the first step, then the second, and little by little started making their way down the steps into the area below. As they descended, the path ahead became brighter and brighter, and eventually the seeming low and dim cavity in the Earth let out into a great space. Frisk emerged in what look like a bright cave that existed under the entirety of the massive church above. Frisk could hear a waterfall to their left, and on the right of the room was an area of bright light. The jagged walls were covered in hues of blue by the bright water that flowed around the entire room, and despite there being no way that any natural light reached this area of the church, the entire room seemed bright enough to seem like daytime.

The stairs let out onto a wide island surrounded by water, and at the end of the island, looking down into the pool of light, was a man with a messy mop of hair and a brace on his left leg. Frisk took a deep breath in as their heart sank into their stomach. Each footstep, the next heavier than the last, echoed across the room as they descended the stairs and on to the land below. There was almost certainly no way that Cage didn't know Frisk was here now. Even so, Frisk metered breath to try and not lose control of themselves or the demon within. Holding their feelings in was so hard to contain. After all this time, Frisk had finally made it to the end of their struggle.

Eventually, Frisk came to rest at the middle of the island, staring down the Cage's back and contemplating what to do next. Should they try to slash him when he wasn't looking? But there's no way that he doesn't know they're already there. What about trying to hit them from there with a magic attack? Could they charge their energy long enough for it to matter? And how would they close the distance in time? The possible options seemed overwhelming. But before long, Cage would turn to face Frisk on their own. His scruffy face and messy hair belied the fact this twenty-something year old man ran a terrorist organization that now spanned the globe, and Frisk was initially given pause by how young he looked. But that energy quickly turned to anger as their mind filled with the memories of everything he had done.

The two of them remained silent, both intently staring over each other as the sounds of dripping water and the staccato of distant gunfire bounced around the walls. Frisk's scowl grew as they took it as another sign that Cage had done nothing but ruin the peacefulness of this place. They gripped the hit of their sword tighter as their expression intensified.

Cage smiled. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Ambassador Frisk."

* * *

A/N - I can't believe this chapter is finally finished! And now this arc can move into its eventual conclusion. I've been waiting an entire year to write this part of the story, among many others. School got really, really rough this semester, but despite the schedule slip, I'm really, really happy that I've made it this far at all. What wonderful proof that despite my life rn, I can still excel at one thing :')

To the readers who have made it this far, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading what now feels like my life's work! I can't begin to talk about how much I think about this fanfiction! I have so many ideas for it and for the stories I want to tell, and I feel like I've spent so much of my year imagining the kind of world I want to create in my story. I worry that my fanfiction is bad, or that a lot of people don't enjoy it, but as long as even one person wants to read my work, I'll be very, very happy 3

So this arc reaches the crest of its emotional crescendo. This chapter was, by far, the hardest of any of them to write, no doubt because of the numerous action scenes I had to put in. I questioned putting this arc second in the story because of its heavy reliance on OCs, but I'm honestly really happy with how its turned out so far. I'll get to focus on the main cast a little more, especially in these upcoming chapters (and in the next arc)! They say your first fic is always rough around the edges. But I'm doing my best to make the polish just right. That being said, I'm always interested in criticism! So don't be afraid to leave me your comments! Until then, see you in the next notes!


	10. The Day a Demon Was Born, Part 1

_TO BE DELIVERED UPON DEATH ONLY, by the Order of Her Majesty the Queen_

"_My dearest Frisk,_

_This is never a letter I thought I would have to write. But, it's not everyday that a queen rides into battle for the benefit of her subjects. It has certainly been a millennium since this happened here, and I'm sure if I were alive, I would never hear the end of it. Heh, maybe I'll enjoy death after all. But that's not the point of this letter._

_No matter what happens, know that none of this is your fault, alright? I know you, and I know you're likely to take a lot of the responsibility to heart. You're kind to a fault, and there's no use changing that, because that's who you are. I worry that this world will one day prove to be too rotten for you. But know that even after I'm gone, the surface will still need your light. Despite everything, there is still something worth fighting for. And I can smile in death knowing that this world still has you to guide it. _

_You're probably going to be mad at me for this, but I spent some time looking into your SOUL when we were together. It's magic I've been learning on the side. I think you called it a special ability? Anyway, when I looked at your SOUL, I could see your entire being reflected at me. A person of immense love but also of immense sorrow. I couldn't think of a better way to summarize who you are. I may never learn the secrets of your past, or of who you really are. But no matter what Frisk, I'm so happy that I got to spend this time with you. You've truly made my life one worth living._

_Thank you so for being my family."_

Queen Willow Elizabeth Alexandria II_, _in an undelivered letter addressed to Heir Frisk Dreemurr of the Kingdom of Monsters. Made public for _The Willow Archives_, London, England, 2167.

* * *

_King Edward VII's Hospital, London, England  
Friday, April 26__th__, 2120. 12:17 AM_

The hospital, which was abuzz with dignitaries and representatives just a few hours ago, had fallen into a peaceful quiet in the cloak of night. Toriel, after managing to stay awake long enough to comfort her distraught child, eventually fell back into a peaceful sleep as Papyrus ensured she remained as healed as she possibly could be. Now that it was well past midnight, Papyrus too was tired from an evening's worth of healing and had fallen asleep on the edge of the former Queen's bed. Given Sans' limited HP and stamina, all he could do was watch. But, it brought him a great bit of solace to know that his two favorite people in the entire world were resting peacefully next to each other, safe and sound from the chaos that was unfolding a mere few miles away. That being said, it didn't stop him from goofing off when he could.

"…and that's when I was like, I think I need an IV, because I feel a bad case of _lovesickness_ coming on!"

Grillby sighed as he continued to wipe down the tables in his namesake restaurant. "Sans, maybe you _shouldn't_ be trying to find your worst puns while waiting for all of this to blow over? Not everyone may appreciate it the way I do." While talking, he let little wisps shoot out of his fingers. They rhythmically danced across the granite table as they burned any spare crumbs to ash. "Plus, it is the middle of a crisis still."

"that exactly why everyone needs a little fun now and then, grillbz." Sans leaned back and closed his eyes in satisfaction. He knew that his punishment for getting these puns out later would certainly mean a tongue-lashing from his brother, so why not strike while the iron is hot, right? What he did not expect was for Toriel to groggily chuckle from her bedside too.

Turning just enough to speak in Sans' direction, she said "Sans, your jokes really do get worse when you're worried."

"tori! You're awake! but don't push yourself though. gotta go grillby, talk to you soon." Sans closed his communicator and leapt to his feet to help make sure Toriel had no trouble leaning up. Toriel sleepily looked around the room, and then at the sleeping Papyrus that had hunched over at the edge of her bed. Despite her weakened state, she couldn't help but smile.

"It sounds like someone worked really hard. I am so grateful for Papyrus. I always thought he would make a fine addition to the guard." Toriel looked around the room more, and then at the clock next to her bedside. Sans grew a little worried as he watched her expression sour at the time. "Where are the others? Are they back yet from the mission?"

Sans turned towards the window and stared at the white glow coming from the cathedral before coming up with an answer. "honestly, i don't know. i know from what i've picked up that fighting inside the cathedral has begun. but it's been hard to get anything out of intelligence."

Toriel frowned. "It seems like things may not be going so smoothly after all."

"you never know!" Sans said, trying to cheer his partner up. "asgore's the strongest monster in the land. maybe in history. and the kid…well, they're something else entirely."

Toriel was quiet for a long time before answering. For awhile, the two sat in silence, listening to the steady beat of Toriel's heart monitor and the occasional snort from Papyrus' otherwise quiet snoring.

"Sans, I want you to listen very carefully to what I am about to say." Sans, who had been facing the window, turned towards Toriel and gave her his undivided attention. Despite his smile never fading, Toriel could tell me the subtle, yet distinct, movement of his eyes a wider range of emotions that even some of his closest friends failed to recognize. Over the past five years, the two had spent their time trying to develop a relationship built around vulnerability and trust. Even when what was weighing on her was clearly trying, she felt a small comfort knowing Sans could be by her side to receive it.

"A thousand years ago, and maybe some more, I was a young girl, living in the taiga of what the humans today call Siberia. My clan, my…village was always small, and as isolated as we were, we hardly knew that there were so many other monsters out there, or that there was a war at all. But when the war came, we had no choice to leave when the Catholic Church swept through our town and burned our homes to the ground."

Toriel continued. "The man who saved us, Asgeir, was Asgore's father. He truly was a sight to behold. In those days of the war, there were a lot of us. Those who could not fight led the caravan Eastward, while those who could, did. And while, in every battle, it seemed as if we didn't stand a chance, Asgeir was there, holding the line, burning entire forests down if it meant that we could slow the humans' advance. And not only was he an incredible sorcerer, adept in the magic of the time, he was a skilled fighter, and caused many a human to fall at the hands of his spear."

Sans listened in, shocked. There was little that he didn't know, from his time as a scientist to his time working intelligence for the kingdom. But Toriel's personal history, even now, astonished him. "so you're telling me that there was a monster this powerful? and he still wasn't enough? he truly never claimed a human soul?"

Toriel hesitated. She seemed as if she fumbled with the idea of telling the truth in her mind, but knowing that her facial expressions gave away her true thoughts to Sans, she decided that there was no point hiding it. "You cannot tell anyone this. But he did. He…he claimed several. When our history says otherwise, it is a lie, an exaggeration of the truth meant to let the young ones imagine how vastly underpowered we were. But the reality was that King Asgeir managed to capture six human souls. The Church knew this, and before we could settle for good on the edge of Siberia, they came to attack us, one more time.

Asgore was but a child at the time. We were beginning to set up camp when an alarm had been issued by our scouts. Just as any other day, I remember the King leaving, spear in hand, to defend us. But everyone knew something was wrong when barely any of them came back to meet us. The cause? The mages of the Order of Saint Marseille."

Toriel let out a deep, heavy sigh, causing her to cough a bit. Sans moved to console her, but Toriel held up her furry paw, giving Sans a wincing smile and a small reassurance that she would be okay. Toriel continued. "The Order was the group that ultimately sealed monsters under Mt. Ebott. Once the human armies withdrew, tired from the fight, the church created the Order to train magic-capable humans with the sole goal of eradicating monsterkind. With their technology, we could not put up much a fight on a normal day. But on that day, with their magic, our chances of winning the war vanished."

"Their seven high mages rode just outside of camp, followed only by their familiars. And once again, King Asgeir rose to defend our camp. Before now, he had been hesitant to use any of the captured human souls, but upon finding himself face to face with the legates of the Church, he felt as if he had no choice. But before he could, they brought out an eighth, a man with a black SOUL who had the power to suppress all magic. I will never forget being a child and watching the mighty king of monsters bow to a human a quarter of his size as the strength was literally sapped from his body." Tears started to well in her eyes. "I lost my mother that day. And Asgore lost his father as we frantically organized who was left to escape across the Pacific Ocean in the dead of winter. All while these seven humans looked on with nothing but contempt in their eyes."

Sans stood up and grabbed Toriel's paw as she used her other to wipe the tears from her face. Even now (or especially now), Toriel's strength struck him as saint like. He would have never imagined that one of the most vociferous champions of humans in the kingdom could have been harmed by them so. Sans felt like his head was spinning. The implications of Toriel's words left him uneasy for what may happen next in the present. But he tried to do his best to focus on Toriel instead of his own worries right now.

"Sans. I do not know if the power Cage wields is the same as the one once used against Asgeir. But, I do know that in the face of such magic, it may be hard or impossible for any monster to win. And while Frisk is talented, they too depend heavily on magic to unlock their full potential. Because it _is _Frisk, I worry about what Cage might do." With her other free paw, she tightly grabbed Sans' bony hand. "Sans, I know how hard it is for you to make promises. But, please. Make sure my child is safe. Make sure that they too do not fall to the same fate as Asgeir did."

Sans collected his thoughts before giving an earnest, kind smile to Toriel. "tori. i…of course. i'll do my best to make sure nothing happens to them." Turning his attention to the sleeping Papyrus behind her, he said "and it's like you said. with my bro here, you've got a good skeleton holding you up. you'll be fine." Amidst Toriel's soft giggle, Sans got up and turned his attention to the map on his communicator to plot out his warp movements through London. "i've let justin know i'm coming. i'm sure he'll appreciate the help."

"Also, Sans, please." Toriel leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Sans' cheek, causing him to run blue in return. "Be careful, okay? I've lost far too much in my time. The last person I want to lose right now is you. I…I would love you for you to be by my side for just a little longer."

Sans tried his best to suppress his goofy smile, turning away from Toriel as he made his way to the window. He unlatched it and let the cool night breeze ruffle the curtains. Before leaving, he turned with one last soft smile and said "of course. i'll see you soon, tori."

* * *

_St. Paul's Cathedral, Basement Chamber  
Friday, April 26__th__, 2120. 12:13 AM_

Frisk pulled out their katana and held it at the ready in front of them. They could feel their emotions clouding their judgment as their sword shook in their hand. "CAGE! You're gonna fucking pay for everything you've done. Don't think for a second you're getting out of this!"

Cage simply closed his eyes and smiled to himself. "Can you feel it, ambassador? The magic in this place? It's everywhere. The air, the walls, the water. It's as if the Earth is imbued with its very essence." He stepped forward from the ledge, inching towards Frisk with his arms outstretched, as if he was motioning to the world itself. "Part of the real reason this church was built was to conceal and seal off this room. The well behind me is part of a vein of magical energy that runs through the entire world. I think the vintage scholars called them 'leylines'."

Unfazed by Cage's lecture, Frisk flared their nostrils. The red in their eye flared with every step he took. "Okay, and why should I care? It's not like a hypocrite like you cares about magic in the first place!"

Cage laughed. "I don't, do I? Such a bold claim to make. I never said I hated magic. I never even said that I hated monsters. Just that they've caused more trouble than they're worth." Cage stopped just short of Frisk's striking distance, letting his hands drop to either side of the broadswords affixed to his hip. "All Cauldron wants is the return of monsters to the Underground and the world restored to its geopolitical state five years ago. No death, no genocide, and from one human to another, nothing personal."

Frisk's eyes widened in disbelief. "You actually think that's going to happen? You might even be more delusional than the HLF. Monsters fought long and hard to make it to the surface. Why would we let you undo it?"

Look around, Frisk! You can't tell me you don't feel it. How magic rich the environment is here. How similar it must feel to Mt. Ebott. This entire cave makes the rest of the world feel absolutely deprived of magic. Is this really how the monsters want to live? Lives where their full potential is stunted by our uneven worlds?

Chara sounded shocked, which caused Frisk's scowl to turn into one of confusion. "He's…he's not lying Frisk. It feels like the underground in here! Down to the scent. Not even the castle back at home feels this invigorating. I can feel it affecting me, affecting…us."

Chara's confirmation only made Frisk falter more. Cage noticed how much the young royal was shaking and smiled at how easy it was to unnerve them. Frisk continued to spit spite back at him. "Once again, why does a terrorist like you even care about where magic is and isn't? Last time I checked, you liked the world the way it was. This shouldn't even be a landmark for you."

"Au contraire, my dear Ambassador." Cage continued as if he was a preacher in this very church. "This church is a testament to our history, the history of how humans once brought balance to the world by controlling the flow of magic." Cage outstretched his hand and engaged Frisk's SOUL, drawing out their sorrow and fury-fueled magic by doing so. Frisk's magical pressure made the wind in the crypt howl as the sprits of the two mages clashed before either of them had a chance to move their swords. Cage shuttered from Frisk's initial burst of magical pressure, but his grin widened as Frisk's breathing grew more and more erratic. "Frisk Dreemurr, the so-called savior of monsters, the self-proclaimed 'World's Strongest Human,' the time of the dominion of your illegitimate kingdom of monsters has come to the end. Your very abuse of this power to change the world will be your undoing." Cage drew his broadswords and held them both at the ready. "And it's by using this power that I'll be able take you and the rest of your friends down and finally restore balance to this planet."

Frisk could no longer hold back. One screaming step forward gave them the distance they need to lunge at Cage, moving so fast that he barely had time to bring his broadswords to block Frisk's initial strike. Face to face, it was undeniable how intense Frisk's magic was compared to Cage's. The very presence of their overwhelming spirit was almost too much to stand against. At the same time, it was very clear that Frisk was at their emotional limit. Their red eyes filled with tears as they tried to maintain their composure, and their sword's pressure faltered against a much more composed Cage.

Taking his opportunity to strike, Cage stepped back with his right foot and let his right sword drop. He thrusted forward with his left sword, narrowing missing Frisk as they countered and prevented Cage from retreating. Using Cage's momentum against him, Frisk attempted to cut Cage's wrist before being forced on the defense by Cage's remaining sword. Once Frisk lost the offensive, they were forced to move backwards and defend until they could find an opening against Cage's constant barrage of strikes.

When they were next to the stairs, Frisk took the opportunity to use it to gain a height advantage against their opponent and quickly aimed for whatever opportunity they could. Using the steps as a jump point, Frisk shattered the rock beneath their feet as they lunged for Cage's chest, and just as quickly as Cage has advanced, he found himself retreating as Frisk's magic-imbued strikes became too intense to continue blocking. Furthermore, his skeleton-induced wound from earlier was acting up, despite the best efforts of a combination of healing magic and magical science to keep him upright. Cage knew that he would need to turn the side of battle sooner his later, so he continued to press his luck with the only battle he had been winning: The psychological one.

"Ambassador! I know this fighting style of your's! It's called Kendo, is it not? For an ancient martial art about form and precision, you certainly exhibit none of it right now! Even in my hurt state, countering you is too easy."

He was bluffing, of course. But, Cage hoped that this shallow gloating would continue to catch Frisk off-balance. What he did not expect was for the intensity of Frisk's attacks to increase as well. Almost viciously, Frisk taunted "What's wrong, Cage? I thought you could handle a little magic! Where's that self-righteous smile now?" Frisk raged as they continued to push against their opponent. "Don't be so cocky, you sanctimonious piece of garbage! You haven't even begun to face your fate yet!" Frisk moved forward and stopped short of striking Cage, instead pulling back and letting Cage right hand miss Frisk. Reversing their momentum, Frisk rushed forward to block Cage's left broadsword and then followed through with a diagonal strike through their torso. Normally red to prevent fatal strikes, the white metal of their sword slashed through the top of Cage's leg brace system and the bulk of his body armor, rendering him vulnerable to thrust strikes and other advances from Frisk. Unrelenting, Frisk pulled their sword across Cage's body and readied to attack several more opening before being forced to retreat to avoid a blow to their left arm.

Cage, who's outward show of confidence had given in for his need to focus, still managed to smirk as he teased Frisk. Now in a measurable amount of pain, his breathing labored between words. "Such anger! So much for the idea of the pacifist ambassador. I truly didn't know that you had it in you, the negative energy I feel within your soul incredible!"

Frisk's concentration shattered at the "had it in you," comment, causing them to mess up the technique needed to parry the downward swing of Cage's swords. Shocked, they failed to recover in time before Cage, in one movement, forced their katana down and thrust their sword through Frisk's left shoulder. Frisk wailed in pain as they jumped back to distance themselves from Cage, who swung their right broadsword clear of blood and savored their successful blow. They dropped their left broadsword and outstretched their hand, taking control of Frisk's soul with a grip of their fist and turning it from its usual bright red into a dark brown. And in that instant, it felt as if all the strength had instantly left their body. Frisk started gasping as their pain became near-unbearable. Their red eyes, a hallmark of the strength of their determination, reverted to brown as Frisk felt their magic leave their body. But through the sheer force of their will alone, they managed to remain standing.

Chara, on the other hand, could barely handle the sensation. Inside them, Frisk could hear them screaming in visceral pain. "FRISK! FRISK! WHAT'S HAPPENING! I CAN'T HANDLE THIS AT ALL, I FEEL LIKE SOMETHING IS TRYING TO TEAR ME APART! HELP ME!"

Frisk managed to form a sentence to speak to Cage. "What…what did you do to me?"

"This is my power. A power bestowed upon generations of generations of mages that has now found it's way to me. I've renounced my right to magic forever. But in exchange, I've received something greater: The power to erase it. Whether it's monster or human, I have the ability to suspend the circulation of magic through their body. This power has been called a lot of things throughout history. But I prefer to call it Blackout."

"B-Blackout…what? I've never heard of this before? Is this…"

"Yes. The very same power I used on Toriel. No matter the size, no matter the strength, Blackout never fails to take ahold of it's target. And now that I have you, I've got you right where I want you."

Internally, Chara's screaming was beginning to reduce Frisk to tears. They had never heard them in such pain before, let alone shown this much vulnerability. More than any other time this fight, Frisk could feel their heart begin to sink as their partner's spirit began to break. "FRISK, PLEASE! THIS PAIN IS UNIMAGINABLE! I'M SO SCRARED! PLEASE, STOP HIM! KILL CAGE!"

Gathering what little remaining strength they had, Frisk ran forward and attempted to strike Cage's right side, an attempt that easily blocked. Even when keeping his left fist closed tight, Cage was easily able to hold off the disoriented and fatigued Frisk. Frisk's voice dripped with desperation "Why!? Why this? What do you want with me!?"

"Trust me, if I could kill you now, I would." Cage said while almost effortlessly keeping Frisk at bay. "But, there are some things I need to confirm first. We owe a client a favor. And you may be the sole roadblock standing in the way of our goal to return monsters to the underground. Taking care of you now clears many of the conditions we must solve to achieve peace." Cage parried Frisk's last swing of their blade and knocked it out of their hands, sending it flying to the edge of the island. Cage took the chance to try and land another swing, but Frisk pulled out their Wakizashi and tried their best to maintain their ground.

"Not yet! NOT YET! I am NOT going to let you kill me. I am not giving up! Not now, not ever!" Stepping back to keep their distance, Frisk grabbed the back of their short blade and used to stop Cage's next strike. They used all the momentum and energy they had left to bring it down to Cage's hilt and to force them into a deadlock. Cage nearly stumbled as their injured leg buckled from the pressure.

"Foolish child, just give up! You're at your limit, Frisk! You can do nothing more! Don't you see what's going to happen!?" Cage jumped back to break the pressure of the deadlock, but was forced into another when Frisk took advantage of an opening on their wrist. "This world isn't ready to accept monsters! It never will be and you know that! You had your chance to integrate and you didn't! If you stay on the surface, the humans will never give up trying to force you off this planet! You will literally be throwing your lives away! Is that what you want!?"

"It's better than a life submitting to your rules! Just leave us alone!"

"YOU IDIOT! YOU CAN'T WIN, SO JUST GIVE UP!"

Cage raised their remaining sword one final time to strike. But, at the height of the swing, Frisk reached up with their left hand and grabbed Cage's wrist, preventing him from finishing the blow. With tired but determined brown eyes and the most intense face Cage had seem out of them yet, they stared Cage in the eye as they readied their Wakizashi to slice Cage's throat.

"Fine. Then lay down and die."

The next second went by all too quickly. The sound of gasping filled the cave as dark red blood gushed onto the ground. Wincing, Frisk fell to the ground and heaved as their lungs begin to fail them. Their blood begin to pool at the base of their back, trickling steady from a wound left from a magic arrow. Before Frisk could execute the final strike, Owl, standing at the top of the stairs that led to the crypt above, shot them in the back and brought them falling to the floor. Frisk writhed in pain as they tried to protect their weapon. Their cracked soul, while not entirely broken, could certainly take no more damage.

Owl looked furious as she followed a line of Cauldron operatives down the stairs. She spat at Frisk as she reached the bottom. "That's what you get, you dirty traitor."

* * *

Undyne was on the offensive. After being surprised by Vulture's initial attack, Undyne largely had the baby-faced legate on the run. Vulture's attack patterns depended on him swinging a large chain at the end of their scythe. Made out of the same material the scythe was, Undyne assumed it would be too heavy for a mere human to carry, but despite the odds, they managed to stay in the fight much longer than Undyne gave them credit for. Occasionally, Vulture would swing their scythe in a wide arc to fire off a crescent-shaped energy attack, but it didn't matter; Undyne was simply too fast them. They had both worked their way up to the Whispering Gallery, where Undyne had a cadre of magic spears surrounding Vulture on all sides.

"HAH! You really were all bark and no bite, huh? For such a 'brave mage,' I've certainly had you on the run, huh?"

Vulture breathed heavily as they leaned on their spear at the opposite end of the dome. "Don't be so sure, Captain Undyne. There's much from me you haven't seen yet. Including my special ability."

Undyne's eyes widened. "W-What! Special ability? That's impossible! I thought humans didn't have those anymore! After all, anime isn't real! I'd know, I checked!"

Vulture struck a pose and let their hair fall over their face in probably the most bishounen fashion possible. "Of course it is, dear! You just have to know where to look! After all, some human souls burn brighter than others!" Turning their purple-eyed gaze back to Undyne, they said "I wonder how brightly your soul shines? Do you want to find out?"

Undyne laughed. "Punk, you have _no_ idea the kinds of trials I've been through all my life. Trust me, you wouldn't make it to be half the person I am today without MY determination!" Undyne pointed her spear square at the legate and turned it green, keeping Vulture effectively stuck in place. They started to spin their chain in their hand while Undyne continued. "Now then, are you ready to see the justice of a determined soul?"

Undyne swung her main spear and the magic spears she had been holding back all began to converge on Vulture. They smiled as they held their scythe out to block what they could. "Undyne. You truly are the heroine that never gives up. Well done. But never underestimate the power of a perseverant SOUL. Like you, there is a world I must fight for, until the very end. Don't you dare count me out yet!"

With a flurry of clangs and clashes, Undyne watch as her spears shredded the spot of the balcony were Vulture was standing. The attack was so intense that she could feel the cold wind pouring in from the outside. But despite that, she could tell that Vulture had indeed survived. Holding her main spear at the ready, she looked to either side of her to check for any surprises when she saw it: Vulture's chain coming around the dome from the right side. "A-HA! LUCKY SHOT TWERP, BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO STOP ME!" She exclaimed with a mix of excitement and annoyance at Vulture's tenacity. "Rule number one of fighting: Never let your guard down!"

But, just as Undyne prepared to smack Vulture's chain down, it attached to the railing of the balcony instead of her, and at that moment the chain started to retract and pull Vulture from the smoke cloud where they waited. They were badly beat up; Undyne could see multiple wounds from where the spears passed through their body, and their purple SOUL was fouled with several cracks running towards the center. Yet, Vulture continued, filled with perseverance. They readied their scythe, and as they reached the end of their chain, they planted their feet on the walls of the gallery and used the momentum to swing themselves past Undyne. Vulture dragged their scythe through Undyne as they came to a rest on her opposite site.

Upon being slashed, Undyne's body fell to the ground, lifeless, but at the same time, still alive. Her white monster SOUL floated above it, as did a ghostly outline of her body that now filled the space where her she used to stand. Confused as all heck, she turned towards Vulture. Her anger began to flare, as it felt like every fiber of her soul was telling her to attack them.

Between pained breaths, Vulture explained Undyne's situation "This is my special ability, Dissociation. With my ability, you've fallen under _my_ influence. I've also separated your soul from your body and undone your magic, so there's nothing holding me back from ending your life. No body to absorb your blows, and no armor to get in the way. Accept you've met your match and I'll give you the death you rightfully deserve."

Undyne, not looking shocked in the least, cracked her neck and summoned her magic spear again as she narrowed her eyes at Vulture. "What a dumb ability. You never said anything about me not be able take you down. So don't think for a second that you're going to get away from me, wise guy." She leaped around the circular gallery at Vulture, summoning spears on the floor to force them to move back as she tried to close the distance. "Too many people are counting on me to win this match! For the sake of every monster who wishes to see a better future, I won't lose!"

As Undyne advanced, she could hear an inner voice in her head telling her, _rushing her_ to proceed. Despite her best effort to focus on the fights, the thoughts grew louder until they were at forefront of her mind. "Take him down! What are you waiting for? He's open and weak, if you go in now, there's no way he could make it!"

Frustrated, she yelled at Vulture "NGAHH! You human! What did you do to me!"

Vulture jumped back to avoid a spear and cursed himself as he could feel his body giving from the pain of his injuries. "Damn, not enough, apparently. But what now…"

As they neared the hole that Undyne had made earlier, a transmission came over Vulture's communicator. "Vulture, this Owl. Our mission's accomplished, we need to get out of here. Staying any longer is pointless. I'm executing Escape Plan Delta. Meet up with Crow and get out of there!"

"Uhhhhh, Owl, I'm a little busy here, if you didn't know. The monsters haven't let up. How is everyone else done?"

Owl sucked her teeth. "Ugh, typical Vulture. Way to be the weakest, as always. Get outside now, we're not waiting any longer."

"Wait, what!?"

Vulture heard the alarm sound and soon a pile of charges detonated at the base of the cathedral. Not knowing what else to do, they took their scythe and widened the hole Undyne made earlier and prepared to jump. "I like you Undyne, so I'll give you a chance to escape. Get back to your body, quickly! If I'm going to kill you, I'm going to do it right damnit!"

Undyne ran her hands across her fish fins in exasperation. As she did, she realized the inner voice disappeared too. Again at her senses, she yelled "NGAHHH! FINE! But I don't owe you for this! If we meet again, I will take you down!"

Vulture fell out of the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral, hoping that Crow would be astute enough to pinpoint their location through the smoke now rising into the city. And sure enough, they could see Crow's supercharged blue SOUL climbing the nearest building and then jumping off of it to grab them, shattering several windows in the process. Crow princess-held Vulture as he looked for the next point to jump from amidst the smoke.

"Crow! You're really a sight for a sore body, did you know that? Nothing like Owl's bedside manner."

Predictably not responding to Vulture's poor excuse for a joke, he simply said "We're going down. Hold on." Using the last part of the dome that had yet to fall to the ground, Crow used what power he could to propel himself towards the Chamber where Cage and Owl waited.

Once Undyne had made it back to her body, she was shocked to see that her SOUL simply slid back into place, like the last puzzle piece that belonged in a jigsaw puzzle. Springing awake, she jolted to her feet to hear Alphys and Justin screaming in her ear.

Alphys sounded absolutely terrified. "UNDYNE! UNDYNE! Please, get up! I can't lose you here, please!

"Undyne, you need to get out of there, now! I'm sending Sans to your last location, just please get outside if you can!"

"Hey you two! I'm okay! I'm sorry, a lot has happened here…How can I…? I can't…!? NGAH!" Undyne tore another hole in the wall of the dome and jumped outside, summoning a flurry of spears from whatever solid surface she could to keep herself afloat. "SANS! NOW! COME FIND ME, YOU LAZY BONES!"

Like clockwork, popping up beside her in the air was her (second) favorite bony skeleton. "heh. sorry to make you wait, captain."

And with a blink, and a boom, and a crash, Sans, Undyne and the church that had stood for 450 years vanished into the air.


	11. The Day a Demon Was Born, Part 2

_St. Paul's Cathedral, Churchyard  
Friday, April 26th, 2120. 12:23 AM_

Aboveground, Willow and Raven continued to clash. Realizing that the Queen fared far worse in cover, Raven had lured her into the trees surrounding the church and was using them for cover. Now, both of them danced around the churchyard as they attempted to attack each other. Raven, a trained soldier and a veteran to many fights, was able to handle the situation with a fair amount of finesse. However, it was clear that Queen Willow was struggling. She held her bloody right arm as she continued twist and turn around the grove to find her opponent.

Willow had at least gotten used to Raven's pattern. She would use her speed to jump from tree to tree, occasionally cutting a branch down and sending it her way. After about two or three large, lateral jumps, she would always approach the queen from her sides, where the fire from her orbs would be the least able to catch her. Down to only one shining, yellow bullet orb in the cover of darkness, Willow was forced to use it wisely in order to be able to see and catch her very fast opponent.

"And she'll come in three…two…" Willow immediatedly pivoted on her feet and held up her battered pistol to stop a blow from Raven's spinner. Quickly, she shot at her as she landed on the ground and followed her as she ducked behind a tree for cover.

"You got a little of my hair this time, nice!" Raven said, inspecting the shot-off ends of her pink hair. "I'll totally have to use some of your hair for extensions when I _fucking kill you!_"

"Honey, don't kid yourself, this totally isn't your texture, it would _never_ work!" Willow did her best to articulate her sarcasm through the strain in her voice. She did her best to follow Raven's voices as she ran between trees.

"Ha, comedy gold! You'd like to think you're half as funny as me, but unfortunately, you're not. But that's just what I would expect out of a Justice-type SOUL like your's! Everyone finds out what their trait is and gets so stuffy about it. That's part of the reason you're losing darling, you're just not flexible enough!"

Willow jumped to the side to avoid a strike from Raven, and found herself ducking and strafing to avoid her kicks and the blade of the spinner. She held her pistol out in desperation, but she just wasn't strong enough. With two final swings of her arms, Raven knocked the pistol out of Willow's hands and pierced her bullet orb with the side of her shield. Queen Willow fell to her back and had no choice but to be held by Raven at knifepoint.

"Tch. What a waste of my time. But I'll admit, you did give me more of a fight than I thought you would. For an uppity princess like yourself, consider me impressed. But it's too bad you chose to fight for the wrong side. Now, you'd better come quietly. Don't make me kill you, kid. Contrary to popular belief, I really don't want to."

Willow sneered as she looked away from Raven. "Terrorist scum. What do you care about sides or the world? And for someone who doesn't want me dead, you certainly don't act like it."

Raven sighed. "You would be like that, wouldn't you? You really have no idea how this world works, do you? How hard it has to be for people like us. But of course you don't, you have an entire country at your feet. And I mean, if we're going there, then to be fair, you _were_ the one who tried to kill me first." Raven pulled some rope from her side as she went behind Willow and proceeded to secure her.

"Only because _you _tried to kill Frisk, you moron!"

"Oh yeah…well, I guess you shouldn't have intervened then. Now hold still so I can tie you up. If you promise to be half as annoying, I promise to tie the ropes half as tight~"

"What, that doesn't even make – OW! That's still definitely full tight! You call that half!? Plus, with any luck, Frisk is showing Cage who's boss right now! Then what are you and your silly organization going to do then!?"

Raven stood up the tied-up Willow as she began to pull her towards the church. With a frown on her face, she said "Figures I would get stuck with the babysitting job. God I am so going to fucking yell at Owl la-" Flinching, She stopped mid-sentence as she ground to a halt in front of Willow. Entire seconds went by as the normally snarky legate seemed to zone out completely. Willow contemplated turning and running but the Queen part of her brain knew that she would hardly be able to make it, if at all, and dying simply wasn't an option that she or Britain had right now. Before Willow had a chance to roast Raven for her moment of weakness, she ran off at full speed towards the cathedral, leaving her prey behind.

"It's your lucky day, Queen Bitch! You get to live!"

"Wait, what-!?" Willow barely had time to answer before Raven disappeared into the blown-open doorway and sealed the entrance to the crypt by collapsing the frame onto the stairs. Coughing, she began to limp back towards the front of the church to try and see if she could find another way inside. But she barely made it past Canon Alley before getting an urgent call from Justin.

"Your highness, are you anywhere near the church right now!?"

"I'm circling the North side right now, yeah? What's wrong? And what happened to radio silence?"

"There's no time! They're going to blow the church up!"

Willow began to panic. "What!? No, they can't! I'll can't get clear."

"Damn, not you too! We'll never get to you in time! Ugh, standby!"

Sure enough, as soon as Justin finished his last transmission, an alarm sounded throughout the church signaling the imminent detonation of the first set of charges. Willow's heart dropped as she resigned herself to her fate.

Her eyes hot with tears, she somberly laughed at her fate "Haha…so I guess this is how it ends. I'm so sorry Frisk. You deserved better…And Mom-!" But before she could further lament her death, she felt herself get scooped up by an incredibly fast Asgore. Willow could feel the air leave her body as Asgore charged at full speed towards the base camp.

"A-Asgore…!"

Though Asgore's deadly serious face, Willow swore she saw the King smile for just a second before the smoke overtook them both. "Human. You are going to be okay. Hang on." And as quickly as he came, both of them disappeared through the arch gate separating Paternoster Square from the cathedral. One inside, Willow gasped at the sight of Undyne and Sans, who gave her a friendly smile as Asgore skidded past.

Without using his communicator, Asgore yelled into the air "JUSTIN! SHIELD! NOW!"

Following Asgore's command, a blast shield activated over the square and kept it from being inundated with any more smoke. However, everyone except Asgore were forced to take cover from the excessive wind that flooded the square from the building's collapse. After what felt like an eternity, Willow opened her eyes and saw Asgore extending a paw to help her to her feet. With his soft, regular Asgore face, he asked "Queen Willow, are you okay?"

"Asgore!" Queen Willow exclaimed as he tightly hugged the furry king of monsters. "Thank goodness you came! I was so worried that would have been it for me."

Asgore grunted from the force of Willow's hug and gently patted her back in response. "Your highness! It is okay. If Sans had not alerted me to your presence, I surely would not have made it."

"heh. it was no problem." Sans smiled. "i guess tori and my bro were right after all. you really would need the help of a serif on this mission."

Asgore perked up, as if someone had just mentioned his favorite food. "Tori sent you?"

Justin interjected. "Yes, but it _was_ me that told you where everyone was!"

"HEY! And don't forget, you saved me too! You'd better give me a chance to say thank you!" Undyne stood and exclaimed, almost hurt that she didn't get to say her thanks first. She shot Sans a toothy smile as Alphys spoke up too.

"Fishcake! Ahhhh, it makes me so happy to hear that voice again! I'm so happy you're okay! I was getting worried when-" Alphys was cut off by an alarm at her console, apparently so shocking to her that she spilled her tea all over her tail. She leapt up to sweep the hot liquid away, and when she looked back at her screens she gasped. "S-S-Sans! Are you seeing WHAT I'M SEEING!"

Sans' black and white eyes as they went unusually wide. "this…this can't be, right?"

"NGAHHHH! What, you two!? Don't keep secrets from me!" Undyne, caught up in her anxiety, pushed her way next to Sans to see a warning on his communicator. "High LOVE threat in vicinity. Take cover immediatedly." It wasn't long before Asgore and even Undyne's communicators began to beep as well. Willow's face went pale.

"Guys…where's Frisk?"

There was a brief moment of silence filled only by the sound of beeping before everyone started to talk at once.

"WE'VE GOTTA GET FRISK BACK RIGHT NOW!"

"i was wondering where the kid was. i thought they were already here."

"No…not again. Never again."

Undyne turned to Sans and grabbed his sleeve, summoning her spear in the other end. "Let's go Sans. This fight isn't over until we recover Frisk!"

"Wait Undyne, you can't!" Alphys said, shaking slightly as she spun the 3D diagram of the cathedral in front her to try and pinpoint the source of the LOVE. "I've analyzed the signal and it's coming from deep underground! You wouldn't be able to reach them if you wanted to! It must be in the underground area Frisk was talking about."

"Underground!? This church had lower levels too!?"

"W-When they called earlier, they said that Cauldron was escaping through a hole below the crypt. When I tried to reach out to them, the radio signal didn't reach. But this doesn't make any sense! We've had the magic tracking system online since this evening, and it hasn't picked up anything yet! Why now?"

Sans closed his eyes and thought back to what Toriel had told him earlier. "if this is who i think it is, i may have an idea. i may not be enough to beat him though. this LOVE…it must be high."

Willow tried to let the shock settle in her face before looking up to face the group, but she could feel the terror creeping up through her throat as she tried to answer. "Impossible…something under the cathedral…? I'm queen, there shouldn't be anything in the Church of England I don't know about. And yet..."

Willow looked at Undyne and Sans, waiting to hear whatever plan the Kingdom of Monster's two greatest champions could come up with. Willow could tell from Undyne's nervous grip that she was deeply worried about Frisk too. Undyne turned to look at her "Willow! If you take us back to the church, could you tell us how to get down there!? We have to save Frisk!"

Willow reached for her communicator. "Justin?"

"Already on it, you highness! We have the last ping from Frisk's communicator and we think we have a likely spot. You need to be careful though, don't leave the safe zone without a respirator. Also, you should know, all activity on the surface has ceased. Whatever's happening must be underground."

Willow looked back at Undyne as she responded, her face still drained of all color. "Understood. Send the coordinates to everyone. But we'll need a way to get down there. Do you have any other ideas?

Sans spoke up. "you know, i may be able to teleport down there, as long as i know how deep to go. i can't risk turning into a fossil after all. but willow," Sans pointed at the beaten-up queen still being held on to by Undyne. "i want you to go with me."

Willow swallowed before drawing from the depths of her resolve to return Sans' proposal with a determined face. "Okay. I'll do it."

Justin responded almost immediatedly. "Lord Serif, I must strongly object to your plan. Whatever is down there sounds like it would only put Her Highness in danger. She can't fight in her condition."

Asgore voiced his concern as well. "Sans, let me go. I managed to do very well in my last fight. I have energy to spare so…"

"SANS! As your superior officer, I ORDER you to take me! There's no way we can put the human in harm's way. I know I've taken some damage but-!"

"i'm sorry undyne. your highness. but it has to be her. no one else can go. not against this threat." Sans turned to face a thoroughly frustrated Undyne. "cage's power could allow him to kill any of us. he'll have more trouble with the queen, even in her state. plus" he winked "if things go well, she won't even have to fight. i'll protect her the entire time."

Undyne backed off, but didn't look happy about it in the slightest. Asgore looked as worried as Willow's father might have been. It was Justin who would finally break the silence and relent to the skeleton. "…God, Collette's gonna murder me. But okay. As the operational director, I approve it. Don't leave until we're able to replace Her Majesty's armor and put her right arm in a brace. I'll have logistics prepare a transport to the church site…"

Willow stepped up to Sans and let the yellow light of Justice fill in her eyes. "Sans. I know I can't do much, but thank you. I'm not going to let you down."

"heh, no problem kid. between the two of us, we'll save frisk in no time. i know it."

* * *

_St. Paul's Cathedral, Basement Chamber  
Friday, April 26__th__, 2120. 12:37 AM_

Crow came tumbling into the cave with an angry Vulture in tow, causing a pile of dirt and debris to fall behind him. Both of them fell flat on to the ground at the relief of being out of death's away and reunited with their comrades.

Vulture groaned. "Ow man…that really smarts. At least I'm alive but jeez, would it really had killed us to – YOU!" They crawled over to Owl, who was too busy inspecting Cage's wounds to pay any mind to Vulture. Cauldron operatives snickered as walked past them into the portal. "How dare you!? Do you know how many people you nearly killed with that stunt? Including ME!? What's your problem anyway?"

Owl didn't turn from Cage as she responded. "You knew this would be the plan all along. Raven made it back and she was outside. You were stationed inside the cathedral for a reason, Vulture. No one told you to climb it."

"Oh yeah, well, maybe *you* try dealing with a crazy spear throwing fish-lady next time, as was the original plan in the first place! I would have done just fine up against those –"

Owl cut them off as she summoned her bow and pointed it directly at Vulture. "Listen. No one forced you to be weak. You go on and on about how you were this child gifted with magic ability, but all we've seen from you is failure. If you want to keep gloating in front of our fallen comrades, please do so. But know that I'm not going to let you let you leave until you look and feel exactly like them. Do you understand?"

Surprisingly, Vulture wasn't phased in the slightest. Irreverence still ripe in their voice, they responded to her as someone arguing with a friend would. "What!? Ugh, you're in one of those moods again. I hate when you're like this. Cage, send her home!"

Cage, who was inspecting the near lifeless-body of Frisk, struggled to his feet as he walked over to both of them. "Can both of you please just quit it? As if getting this off the ground wasn't hard enough. Why don't you both just head on home, we're done here."

Owl dematerialized her bow and snapped to attention at Cage's command. Grabbing Vulture by the collar, she pulled them as they kicked and screamed into the well of light and disappeared into the ripples of the water.

"Gosh, they actually act worse with her than they do with me." Raven said, who got up from a rock next to the portal to join Cage's side. "You think that's a good sign?"

Cage sighed as he went to check on Crow, who had gathered just enough strength to stand on the other end of the room. Cage addressed him first. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself, okay? Getting back here was good enough. Just help Raven with Frisk and we'll all get out of here."

Crow nodded as Cage turned back to Raven. "I don't know, but I'll take anything as a sign that we're coming together as a group. Recovering from all this will take –" Cage was forced to stop speaking when he was staggered by an enormous and sudden surge in spiritual pressure. Crow was knocked to his knees as Raven took a protective stance in front of both Crow and him. They all turned to see Frisk's body, still unmoving as Cage as left it, but emitting massive amounts of magical energy. None of them had ever seen anything like it.

"Damn it, I knew that kid wasn't dead" Raven said, equipping her spinner. "We need the kid alive, but I didn't think they were that alive."

Cage looked astounded. "W-what is this? Is this what that flower was talking about? Is this the power we were supposed to investigate!?

Crow grunted through the strain. "Cage…this energy…watch out…."

Before Crow could finish his thought, Frisk's body sprung into action, recovering the Wakizashi placed by their slide and moving past all of them to slash Crow's side. The metallic scent of blood filled the air as it began to spray from his body. Raven grabbed him as she and Crow retreated backwards to avoid the body's wrath.

Cage could feel his spirt faltering from the sight of this corpse animating itself back to life. He returned his sword to ready position and engaged its (?) SOUL. The SOUL still looked as broken as always. But as Frisk's body began to turn, it was clear from their blood red eyes and the SOUL's dark aura that something was very, very wrong. They all took a few steps back as the corpse began to laugh.

"I guess you were wrong, Cage. It looks like you can't handle a little bit of magic after all!"

Raven moved to step in front of Cage, but he motioned for her to stay back as he tried to use Blackout on Frisk's SOUL. It blinked brown, as it should, but instead of looking like the power was drained from them, the corpse just looked bored. It waited for Cage to finish before saying anything else.

"Is that all you got, Cage? W̶͓͌ ̷̜̪͊E̵͔͐̒ ̴̝̇̊L̴̳̔̿ ̶̳̈́L̷̥̈́͒ ̵͙̮̀ ̷̥̰́N̷͖͝ ̶̬̾͝Ô̸̳ ̸̜͔̔̽W̴͚͂̚ ̵̺̯͠ ̷͓͒I̴̤͇͂ ̴͕̆̅T̸̨̯̓͊ ̵͕̪͆͝'̸̡͎͌̇ ̷̬͝S̵͔̈́̏ ̴̼̀ ̴͚̐M̵̟̿͜͝ ̸̺͗̇Y̸͙̳͗ ̶̜͗ ̴̨͔̐T̸̤͇̊ ̵̢̮̾͌Ŭ̴̙ ̶̛̒͜R̵̦̪͂̌ ̸̺̏N̷̬̒ ̶͚͝!̷̗́̈ " It rushed forward, stopping short of the arc of Cage's blade and using the opening to strike his right wrist, causing a stream of blood to squirt as he yelled in pain. It continued, grabbing Cage's hand and preparing to strike at his head before Raven took the blow to the side of spinner, wincing in pain as Frisk's body brought their Wakizashi into contact with her pale skin. Neither Cage or Crow had seen Raven as angry as she looked right now.

"Okay, I don't know who the fuck you think you are, or why Blackout didn't work on you, but I know for a fact that I'm NEVER going to let you hurt Cage again! I don't care if we need you alive, I'm going to kill you!" Her red eyes glowed with the determination in her heart, but her effort only cause Frisk's body to laugh even harder. They held up their arm to stop a punch and then backflipped to avoid the rest of her blows.

The corpse addressed the group. "All of you think that your disgusting cause is this righteous? How pathetic! None of you have any chance in making this world into what you want it to be! And for all the lives you've destroyed, an̴d̶ ̷f̷o̶r̸ ̸w̸h̵a̶t̸ ̵y̵o̷u̶ ̴d̵i̵d̴ ̶t̷o̸ ̶m̶y̵ ̷p̶a̴r̷t̸n̷e̸r̶,̷ , YOU WILL PAY!" As the curpse body became upright, it swung Frisk's Wakizashi, and without even needing to charge, the knife-shaped spiritual energy tore the ground in front of it and Raven's meager shield to shreds. Rocks and dirt flew everywhere as massive amounts of Earth were displaced from it's latest attack. She screamed as _it_ let out an inhuman cry and began to advance on them both. Purge fluid, a putrefied, viscous, toxic mass of bacteria and melted body parts, began to flow from every orifice on their face. It was as if Frisk's body had already been long dead.

"This is it! I'm going to kill you all! I'm going to make each and every one of you suffer ten times over for what you've done to Frisk, and I'm not going to stop until there's nothing left of your rotten SOULS! Nothing will delight me more than sending you all to HELL!" The corpse lunged at them with their knife out, but they were forced to re-establish their footing on the ground when Crow used the last of their energy to turn its SOUL blue. The corpse shrieked as Crow held onto its SOUL and kept it on the ground. He did this even though he and the others were forced to cover their noses from the smell of its disgusting purge fluid.

Behind a gagging Raven, Cage kept himself from puking as he marveled at the sight in front him. He kept his distance between both his legates as he laughed to himself at how the situation has suddenly turned for the worse. "Ha ha…it's all true. Everything that dog and flower said, it's all true. There's far more to Frisk than meets the eye. They really do contain a double soul…!"

The corpse begin to fire off more blasts as they slowly approached the group, dripping toxic fluid as it walked. The black substance singed the corpse's tattered EU uniform wore and damaged the earth as it passed. Despite her injuries and visibly trembling out of fear for her life, Raven refused to falter as she blocked all of the corpse's attack the best she could. But even she was still getting pushed back towards the edge of the island.

"Cage I don't know how much time we have left here…but you should go. When we…were aboveground, I could feel it! I could feel _you_. No matter where you go…I'll protect you! But I don't know if I can keep this up much longer!"

D̴̰̆ ̴̮́I̷͎̅ ̶̬̐È̶̺ ̷̢̊ ̶͓̔A̸̻͑ ̷͈͂L̸͔̍ ̵͍́R̸̤̚ ̵̼̚E̷̠͐ ̶̦̂Ǎ̴͙ ̴͔̀D̵̳̍ ̸̧̎Y̸̠͘ ̴̣́!̵̬͗!̴̖͝!̸͛ͅ The corpse took one large leap forward and aimed for Raven's torso. Taking a page from it's playbook, Raven grabbed their wrist and attempted to slash them. But before they could manage, the corpse dropped the knife and recovered it with their other hand, slicing Raven directly though her SOUL and making her recoil in pain. She staggered back as Crow increased his grip on the corpse to keep it from killing any of them. It began to drag the soles off their shoes as it inched towards the group. Cage thought they were done for before he watched a skeleton and a small girl blink inside the chamber. He smirked to himself at the irony of it all.

"Not exactly what I thought of when I thought of reinforcements, but I guess that will do!" Cage yelled back to Sans as the corpse continued to ignore them. "What will you do, Sans?"

"w-what…what is happening here…this feeling…!" Almost immediatedly, Sans gripped his ribcage as the corpse's pressure overtook him. Willow, too injured to keep herself from puking, relived herself to the side before turning to face the entity before her. She could feel her heart intensely beating."

"Sans, is that…is that Frisk!? It can't be! Sans! Tell me what to do here! They're gonna kill them! But that…that can't be…"

Sans looked up at the shuffling corpse and failed to come up to a response. Nothing felt like it would work. Should he transport it somewhere else? Where though? And how could he do it without getting himself or anyone else killed? Should he fight them here and risk exposing his power? Was that a risk he had to take? Cauldron is their enemy. But is this a fate that they deserve?

It would seem like he had no choice. Sans blinked and let his blue eye shine, finally getting the attention of the black-faced, red and black-eyed corpse who turned to look at the growing spectacle behind it.

"Sans….! Of course!" It let out an otherworldly laugh as they held the Wakizashi at the ready. "Of course you would come and try to kill me too!"

Sans pleaded. "kid…don't make me do this...please…"

"WHY NOT!? AFTER ALL, ISN'T THS WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED!? DO IT SANS! KILL ME!"

"Stop." Before either of them could attack each other, Willow stepped forward and took control of the corpse's SOUL. Crow passed out from the strain, falling to the ground after such an incredible exertion of his power. Sans' eye still burned blue as he watched the situation with disbelief.

"kid, what are you doing!? do you want to get yourself killed? move!"

"Not yet. I can't yet." Willow stared the corpse down before stepping closer to use her power. Her fear grew with every step that it would strike her down, but it remained there and watched her with a smile.

"Frisk…or whatever you are. Whatever realm of beast you claim to be. I, Willow Elizabeth Alexandria II, the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britian and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Sovereign Head of the Dominion, and Defender of the Faith, hereby use the power invested in me to evaluate your SOUL of it's crimes. Stand in witness of your judgement."

The corpse actually looked a little shocked, but they only showed it through a subtle change in their amused expression. "What is this, Willow? A roleplay? What do you thin you're doing –" The corpse stopped as they felt their SOUL unmasked before them. For the first time since reanimating, it looked shocked to feel Willow rifling through their SOUL as if it was an open book.

Willow unblinkingly talked to Sans behind her. "Sans, this pressure…this power that we feel. It's called LOVE, is it not?"

Sans hesitated, but told her. "it is. and the EXP?"

"Unreadable. It's the same for the extent of your LOVE. All I can feel is the immense darkness and pain that penetrates your heart. It's like an abyss of sadness." Tears began to steam down her face as her yellow eyes investigated the corpse. "This darkness is…strong, but this grief is unlike I've ever felt. You…you're not Frisk. You feel nothing like them, down to the fibers of your SOUL? Who are you?"

G̴̨̦̅̈́É̵̛̟͇̉̀T̴̤͍̊̿ ̵̞̥̃Ö̸̢̗̝̹́Ṵ̸̿̎͗ͅT̷̗͙̥̈́͑ ̵̧̺̈́O̶̠͋̔̄F̷͍̓ ̷̣̺̜̣̄̋M̸͍̲͐͋̌̈E̶̞̲͛̀̃!̵̖͖̔̂͛!̵̧̥̤̹̀̈́̃́ The corpse tried to rush forward but realized it couldn't move. Purge fluid pooled at their feet as they shrieked. The overwhelming smell was nearly too much for everyone in the room. But as tears continued to stream from her eyes, Willow resolutely looked the corpse in the face and continued judging them.

"This is my special ability, Judgement. It allows me to see the true nature of a person's SOUL. As long as I can keep my eyes on you, I can keep you there to face justice. You can't kill me. Not even if you wanted to."

"Fool! How do you know I wouldn't the second you released me! You're weak! You don't stand a chance!"

"You won't. I know you won't."

The corpse started to break down into an uncontrollable laughter. The room echoed with their holler as everyone else watched, terrified of the power before them. "Fine! You naive brat! Everyone here! You want to know who I am!?" The corpse held their arms out as they boasted to the entire group. Sans could feel his soul drop as it looked as if his worst fears would be realized.

"I am the demon who comes when you call its name! No matter where, no matter when, I will always be there in the shadow of the light. I am Chara, the angel of death who has come to pass judgement on this ungrateful and disgusting world!" Chara let their built-up energy release out of them in a massive wave, knocking everyone back onto their feet. Willow lost control of their soul as Chara's demonic aura became too much to oppress.

"D-Damn…I guess I wasn't strong enough after all. Sans, what do you…Sans!" She turned to see the skeleton's SOUL cracking as a result of the blast. Willow rushed to their side and helped him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

"y-yeah, thanks" Sans groaned as he collected his bearings. "it looks like something awful really has been let loose, huh?"

Willow hesistated. "I don't understand. That's Frisk's body. That should be Frisk. And yet…"

"and yet they're gone."

Across the room, Cage held his head and laughed "That flower! All of his theories were right! Frisk shares their body with a spirit named Chara! Together they command an immense power that was enough to even free the monsters! And this room awakened it, just as he said. Unbelievable. Then if this is true, then it means that our research still has hope after all."

Raven, thoroughly terrified, looked as if she was nearing her limit. In a defensive stance in front of Cage, she said "I guess we know why Sirius wanted them so bad. But now, there's no way to retrieve them, much less get out alive. What should we do?"

Cage turned to look at the swirling magic fountain and back at the demon before him. "We could still maybe get what we need! All we need to do is-"

Chara closed their eyes and screamed. "AHHHH! Stop talking! I don't care anymore! I don't care about anything anymore!" They began to charge their Wakizashi with energy. They took a wide stance and pointed it face down towards the magic-filled earth" I'm so tired of everyone here acting like they know me! Like they know of everything! It's time for this fucking charade to end! This is what you all get for destroying Frisk's dreams!"

In just a few seconds, it seemed as if they would all meet their end well below the streets of London. But before Chara could execute the strike, they heard a voice call out to them from the depths of their SOUL.

Frisk now inhabited the inner world, the place that had once been the vessel for Chara's essence. Dripping blood from their wounds, and no doubt in intense pain, they walked up to a distraught and angry Chara and held them from behind, placing one hand on their stomach while holding the other to their corrupted face. The purge fluid burned their hand as they touched them. But Frisk didn't yell, or flinch, or pull away from their hurting partner. They hugged them tighter as more tears began to flow from both of their eyes.

"Chara please…it's okay. It's okay….you don't have to do this."

"NO! Frisk! Let me go! What are you doing!? Stop!"

Frisk nodded and buried their head deeper into Chara's back. It was only a little, but Frisk could feel their partner relax as they pulled Chara closer to them. They continued to yell.

"You don't understand Frisk! They hurt you!" Chara tried to free themselves to no avail. "This entire world is out to hurt you! You've done nothing but give, and give, and give, and everyone in this fucking world has wanted nothing more from you than to suck you dry of everything that makes you who you are! It's not fair! It's not fucking fair! None of this is worth it anymore…so please…"

Chara began to bawl as they let themselves fall into the Frisk's arms. "It's not supposed to be like this! We tried so hard to be better people! To make a difference! This was supposed to be our chance! This was supposed to be the place we could finally belong! So why! Why is the future that we have to have!? Frisk…! Frisk…I'm so sorry…"

Frisk didn't let go as they began to bawl too. "Chara…I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. This is so unfair. We deserve better. Everyone does. But…but we have to give them and ourselves the chance. If we do this now, it's all over."

"It's all already over! Sans saw me! He knows who I am! He knows what _we_ are and Willow does too. They're never going to forgive you. We can't reset so we're never going to be able to go back to the way things were! What other choice do we have!?"

"We don't have to end it! We can carve our own future! We'll pick a path that's all our own and make the future we never had! No matter what happens, I promise I'll stand with you. We'll overcome anything or anyone who gets in our way! And I promise Chara, we'll find the place we finally belong! So please…please don't give up on yourself!"

Chara wailed. "Damn it, Frisk…! You…you idiot…"

In the real world, Chara dropped their knife as their façade of pain and anger faded into one of sadness and anguish. The black slowly faded to white in their eyes as the oppressive demonic aura that filled the room dissipated into the air. Willow rushed forward to catch Chara as they fell and brought their body back to their corner of the room, careful to not let the purge fluid touch them. Sans shot her an incredulous look before shrugging it off and turning his attention to Cauldron.

Cage looked at his communicator and spoke up first. "I…I think that this is enough. Neither of us is really in a state to continue this any further. Agree to split up for now?"

Sans looked at the unconscious Chara (Frisk?) and responded. "i promised that i'd kill you the next time i saw you. but i guess this is why i don't make promises. get out of my sight."

With a smile and a cold look of contempt from Raven, the two of them pulled Crow into the fountain of light, disappearing into the water. Willow dropped to her knees as she let the tension release from her body.

"So what now Sans? Where do we go from here?"

The skeleton closed his eyes as he placed his hands of the both of them. "For now, let's go home kid."

They both blinked out of the chamber and back onto the surface, ending up between the pile of debris and the door that led to the square. As they stumbled in with a bloody and disgusting Frisk in tow, the other monsters and Justin rushed to their side as they anxiously tried to check on them all. Alphys cried from behind her desk at her lab. Asgore looked like he had just had to watch his children die all over again as he moved to hold Frisk in his arms. Undyne's ecstatic, congratulatory face was quickly replaced with worry when she saw the state Sans was in. Justin rushed to Sans' side to place Willow around his shoulders. Everyone yelled, laughed, and cried as the bright cloudy sky gave way to the infinite starry night.

* * *

A/N - Well, we made it. One more chapter, and the first arc of my sprawling fanfic will be complete. I'm so happy that roughly a year after I originally sketched out the idea for this fic that I've finally been able to reach this point. To everyone who's stuck with me since then, and to the people that have joined along the way, thank you so much. I can't begin to talk about how each and every person is special to me.

I had so much fun writing this chapter! When I originally planned this arc, this was the first chapter to get outlined, and despite all of the action scenes, I love how much of the characters I was able to expose through it all. The United Nations arc sets the foundation for everything else that happens in my story. I hope that everyone can enjoy the paths the characters take as they try to figure themselves out.

The next update will probably come out in Mid-May to early June. Until then, thank you so much everyone for enjoying my story, and good luck on your own as well!


	12. Before the Story

A/N - From this point forward, when Chara and Frisk are talking to themselves, inside of either of their minds, t_heir text will be italicized_! I hope that will make it easier to read!

* * *

"_I told you, these monsters are basically demons, people. Five years ago, I came knocking on your door, and you laughed at me. Make fun of me on CNN all you want, but I said it, waaaay back then, I was like 'Hey, maybe we shouldn't trust this monster scum.' But no, we didn't wake up sooner and here we are._

_See people, this is basically an interdimensional invasion through a portal at the center of the earth. We always knew that the devil would really from below! It's in the Bible, the ancients knew it, it's so obvious y'all! These monsters are just the beginning of a massive inter-dimensional invasion. It started with California, it spread to Cascadia, and now they want to spread it to the entire world. But you better believe that we're not going to sit down and accept what the new world order wants us to! No, we're finally awake, and we're going to stop those monster pieces of trash, do you hear me? We're going to stand up strong and fight for our liberty! Haha, this animated contest of liberty is just getting started, and you all better be ready!"_

\- Jameson Jones, Host of the Syndicated Talk Show _Cascadia Today_. Monday, April 29, 2120.

* * *

_Windsor Castle  
Tuesday, April 30__th__, 2120. 11:24 AM_

"so, you're finally awake. i was beginning to wonder when you were finally going to get up."

Frisk blinked for a bit before shooting up in surprise. "Sans? You're here? How long have you been here!? And where...where am I? Where's Cage…"

Sans chuckled. "nothing to worry about here. it's me, sans the skeleton. nice to greet an old pal. i've been here for about four days, first in recovery with you and then just waiting on you. you're in windsor castle. the queen kicked us out because now that pendragon palace is…well, a crime scene, all the queen's men had to go somewhere to put london back together again. plus, uh…i don't know how you feel about this, but…we have fans…"

Sans winked as he pulled back the window shade of the room to a gaggle of onlookers and paparazzi that had gathered despite the rain outside. They all began to scream as they saw Frisk's through the window and Sans's bright white skull. Sans waited a few seconds to let Frisk's disbelief sink into their face before closing the window.

"That's…okay! Jeez! I get it, I get it! it sounds like the world has sorted itself out." Frisk breathed a sigh of relief. They appeared to sink down into their hospital bed before the memories of that fateful night came rushing back to them. Of fighting the legates, infiltrating the cathedral, meeting Cage, and…

"WAIT! I WAS STABBBED!" Frisk pulled up their shirt to see a small but substantial wound where Owl's arrow had entered their body. Being four days old, it looks absolutely awful, but what was even more surprising was how little it hurt. Frisk took a second to marvel at how far medical technology (and magic) had come since their time. "Sans! When were you going to tell me about getting stabbed! and Cage!

Sans displayed his trademark wide smile. "what? i thought you would remember. i mean, it's not every day you have a near death experience. i got there pretty late, but it look like you were hurt pretty bad. it looks like cage was able to get away too."

"I…I see…" Frisk frowned and stared down at their wound as they tried to recall whatever they could about that night. It was honestly all kind of hazy. Frisk could remember the fight, and falling in front of Cage, but nothing afterwards. It felt like there were bits and pieces of memories that should be there. And yet, they weren't.

Frisk internally called to their confidant. "_Chara, do you remember anything?"_

"…"

"_Chara? I know you're there. What happened last night?"_

"…_Frisk, I…"_

Meanwhile, Sans sat, waiting. His trademark smile strained as he looked for words to fill the silence. "so buddy, how are you feeling? the docs had to do a lot of work to put you back together again. kinda made me happy to be all bones and no skin."

Frisk rubbed their temples as they tried to remember through their sudden headache. "Honestly Sans, I feel so out of it. I'm kind of disappointed Cage got away, but that's fine. I'm…I'm alive. And apparently a celebrity."

"you really don't remember anything after you were stabbed?"

"_Chara, do you?"_

More silence followed from Chara before they finally said _"Frisk…please. Please don't be mad at me…"_

"_What!? What do you mean?"_

Sans closed his eyes. "kid. do me a favor and check your stats."

Frisk began to break out into a cold sweat. "_What...what is he talking about? Chara, I need you to tell me what my stats are…p-please…" _Frisk started to go pale.

"_Frisk. It's probably better if you use your communicator."_

Frisk reached over to the nightstand aside their bed and re-attached their communicator to their wrist. Turning it on, they gasped and covered their mouth when they saw the display:

Frisk Dreemurr  
LV: 20  
HP: 99/99  
EXP : -

"What…This…this can't be right…no…" Frisk was beginning to shake as they read the display over and over again, checking to see if some number would change the more that they looked at it. "This has to be broken, right? There's no way my…my LOVE is this high…"

"_Frisk, it's true…we…I attacked Cage that night. I took control of you. I didn't know that was even possible! But I had to do something! Or else…"_

Frisk sounded distraught. _"Who are did you kill!? How many people did you hurt!?"_

"_No one! I swear. I just…got angry. I lashed out at everyone. But I had to! Otherwise, they were going to take you away. I had no choice."_

"_But then, this doesn't make any sense. Why is our LOVE so high…?"_

Sans looked away as he continued. "the only reason we were able to find you under that church was because alphys was able to track your LOVE. so in a way, i guess i can't be too mad. but i gotta say, it was still shocking to find you all melty and stuff. at first, i considered if cauldron had done this to you. or if we were feeling their explosion of energy. but you looked like you were plenty in control of your own actions." Sans turned back to face Frisk, expression unchanged. "Or were you?"

"I-I….I wasn't…it wasn't me! I…" Frisk stammered as they wracked their mind for solutions out of this. Five years of keeping Chara secret, only to be blown in a night? Does Sans know? _Does everyone know?_ What would they do if they did? What would Sans do if they really know about their past? Frisk brain froze at all the outcomes of the situation."

"_Chara, what do I do? Is this it? How do we get out of this?"_

"…_That skeleton…Frisk, I'm sorry. This...this was my fault. You don't deserve this."_

Sans grew a little worried at how distressed Frisk looked and tried to break the tension a bit. "whoa! kid. i'm not gonna kill you or anything, promise. i just needed to make sure that you aren't gonna hurt me, or anyone else, honestly. no human has ever had a LOVE as high as your's. and yet, it makes no sense. you've been good this entire time. you've excelled at mercy, at diplomacy, at talking instead of fighting. you didn't even report any fatalities that night. so why?

Frisk, calming down just a bit, hesitated before speaking. "…I don't know either. Honest. I was feeling angry all day, but there was something about that cave. Or was it Cage? I honestly don't know. But when I was down there, fighting, I felt something I hadn't felt in a very long time. It feels like something overtook me. It felt furious and vengeful."

Sans closed his eyes. "was that chara?"

Frisk furiously sat up. "What did you just say!?"

Without missing a beat, Sans repeated "was that chara?"

"How…how did you know!?"

"because they said so. and you just did too."

Frisk slumped back into their bed, on the verge of tears. "How many people know?"

"just willow and me. no one else."

Frisk felt some of the tension leave their body but it only caused the tears to follow. "Sans, no…it…it was me. My emotions, my actions, they weren't Chara. It was all me. I know they might have attacked Cauldron, or even seemed scary, but they were just hurt! They were angry that I was angry and they were trying to protect me…so please don't think of them as a bad person."

Frisk felt a little absurd saying that when their stats clearly said otherwise. But on edge and fearing for their safety, they didn't know how else to convince Sans that they weren't a threat to themselves or humanity. Their heart raced as both of them remembered the countless times they faced Sans in battle and all the things they did to him, sometimes out of necessity but mostly out of spite. Frisk feared that their final attempt at change truly was over.

Sans opened his eyes and gave Frisk an almost pleading expression. "Look kid…frisk. i know i don't say it much, but I really care about you. i'll be…i'll be honest. when i first met you, i didn't know what to make of you at all. you're clearly a troublemaker, and a time-traveling one at that. you really knew how to rattle my bones when you wanted. but as the years have gone by, i can tell that you ain't bad. you promised me you wouldn't reset anymore. you've always gone out of your way to help tori and me. you ain't a bad person. so…so" Sans sighed. "i trust you."

Frisk couldn't tell if they could believe that or not. but Sans' overall vulnerability affected them nonetheless. He continued. "i know who chara is. i know they're asgore and tori's former kid. i know the story everyone else knows, about asriel and the barrier. and i know that their body is deep in the ruins. but what i don't know is how?"

Frisk tried their best to hold back their tears as they spoke. "Sans…you…thank you. I know that had to be hard. When I fell into the underground, I landed on top of Chara's grave. I think my determination woke them. They've traveled with me ever since, telling me things and guiding me through life. But it wasn't until I was kidnapped three years ago, during the Sovereignty Crisis, that I could finally see them. I certainly didn't know that they could take control of my body like they did. That was all entirely new."

"i see." Sans paused for a bit and looked down, as if to take in everything Frisk had just told them. The bells signaling the change of the hour rang through the castle as Sans looked up to face Frisk again. "i only have one question. who are you?"

Frisk let the bells ring as they deeply mulled over their answers. How do they respond anymore? To a question that big, to answer that complex? What could they say that captured the essence of their experience? They let the last chime pass before taking a confident breath.

"It's me, Sans. It's me, Frisk Dreemurr."

"Sans closed his eyes and sat on the answer before, surprisingly, getting up and raising his shoulders. "thank goodness! what a relief. i was a little worried for a second." Sans got up from his chair and let his voice relax into its usual lazy tone. "i was honestly scared at what you had to say. i feel like there's so much i don't understand now. but you know what, that's okay. i believe you, buddy. and well, i guess everything will make sense in time." Sans began to move to the exit. The door in front of him slid open as he approached. "we've got a flight arranged for tomorrow morning, so i'd finish up your business here before then. you're free to move around, but i've taken your weapons for now. it'd be in your best interest to stay out of the spotlight until we can get you in front of dr. alphys. not telling you what to do, but you may want to talk to willow."

"Sans, wait!" Frisk held out their hand. "Promise you won't tell anyone else, please! I swear that I'll do it, when the time is right. But they can't find out like this, especially Toriel. And…" Frisk slowed down. "Are you really okay with this?"

Sans turned and winked. "don't let me down, frisk."

* * *

_Buckingham Palace  
State Room Hallways  
Wednesday, April 30, 2120. 1:24 PM_

Frisk walked down the ornate hallways of Buckingham Palace. After learning of Willow's whereabouts, they went ahead and traveled back into the city while the other monsters did their best to enjoy Britian. Papyrus and Undyne had traveled North to see some fish monsters in a lake. Apparently they had never left Britain in 1,000 years? Toriel was spending the day at Oxford University speaking to education professors and learning about British cooking. Sans had gone back to sleep at Windsor Palace (was he waiting for Frisk awake the entire day?). That only left Asgore, who was strolling the gardens in Windsor when Frisk had left. They took the opportunity to talk to their dad as they tried to find Willow in this mammoth building.

"Frisk, it is such a joy to hear that you are okay! All of us were so worried when it turned out that you were infected. It's been such a pain to have to keep our distance." Asgore, despite the rainy weather, was wearing his "dad" clothes, a bright, floral pattern button-up shirt with cargo pants and a sun hat, taking full advantage of a rare day off. A detail of police kept everyone else at their distance. "Everyone's overjoyed to know that you've made nearly a full recovery."

"You're telling me! It's so nice to know that everyone made it through okay! I heard Willow's going to be in a cast for some time, but otherwise, everyone seems to be okay. I'm sorry that you can't be next to me right now, but thanks for taking care of all of us, dad."

Asgore blushed a little. "Come now, everyone performed beautifully in our last fight. I can't take all the credit. Plus, we will be able to see you tomorrow, at the ceremony."

"Ceremony!? Sans never told me about that!"

"He did not? It was scheduled this morning, when you woke up."

"You mean that – Willow, you didn't…" Frisk looked up to see a laughing Willow approaching them from down the corridor. She wasn't fazed by Frisk's shocked look at all. in fact, as she approached, it almost seemed like she just enjoyed it more.

"It never ceases to be fun to mess with you, Frisk. Plus, this is my payback for you rushing me so much! There's no way you could have been prepared for this."

"What!? Asgore, I'll call you back!" Frisk clicked their communicator as they incredulously turned towards Willow. "What's the ceremony even about? It's not like we have a lot to celebrate right now."

"Ohhhhhh yes we do!" Willow skipped to Frisk's side as she swung her not-broken arm around Frisk's shoulder. "We, young royal, are alive! We lived through the battle of our lives and here we are, on the other side to see it. It won't be a celebration, per se. But I'll be honoring a couple of people, including you love, as an honorary knight of the land. And before you even say it, because I know you're going to, you deserve this!"

"Ughhhh…if you say so." Frisk rubbed the back of their head and blushed at Willow's praise. But before they could respond with thanks, their mind jumped back to Willow's thoughts of _that_ night. It stole their attention enough that their expression visibly faded, even as Willow giggled and rustled their hair.

"Willow." Frisk moved to put some distance between the two. "About what happened…that night…I'm sorry…if I hurt you. I'm really not sure if I deserve this."

Willow's face straightened as she regained her composure. She turned towards the palace's large picture windows and let herself ruminate on the gardens where they had first fought. Willow tried to carefully pick her words, and then gave up as she turned back to Frisk. "Frisk, that was so scary! Bloody hell, I thought you were definitely going to kill me! Not even Raven made me fear for my life the same way you did! I gotta admit, I didn't know what to think at first…" She paused to step in and comfort a thoroughly ashamed Frisk. "…but then I decided that it didn't matter. You're still my family anyway. So I forgive you."

"W-What…!? Just like that?"

Frisk, I…" Willow sighed "You know I couldn't be scared or mad at you. When you…or I guess, when Chara had me cornered, I looked into your heart. It's a special ability I had been hiding from you. And while there was a deep darkness, I also felt an incomprehensible sadness. It wasn't like anything I'd felt before. And well, I knew at that point that you weren't going to harm me. That underneath all the pain and scars, it's still you."

"Willow…I'm so happy to have you in my life! I'm so sorry!" Frisk couldn't help but cry, but they pulled themself together so that the two of them could continue. The pair separated as they walked towards the garden rotunda. "I'm sure that you must have a lot of questions –"

"I DO! First off, what was that icky stuff that leaked from your eyes? It burned my arms to heck and back! The doctors said cleaning me up was nearly impossible. And how did you get so strong!? You did some literal earth-shattering stuff in there! And –

Frisk put their arms up in front of them, as if to stop a car from running them over. "Whoa! One at a time please. Just pick one at a time."

"Okay." Willow breathed in and out to collect herself. "Can I speak to Chara?"

Frisk froze in their tracks. "Come again?"

"Can I speak to Chara? You know, the dem-the person inside of you."

Frisk looked wracked with confusion. "I…I don't even…can we..."

"It's okay if you can't. Or if…it doesn't want to. I'm not even really sure how this works. Maybe I'm going to get attacked again, but…I get the feeling that Chara isn't something I should be afraid of. After all, you're not."

Frisk was at a loss for words. Internally, they turned to Chara. "_Well, what do you want to do?"_

"_I…I…I don't know how to talk to humans! Let alone her, after…well, everything she saw! She'll hate me!"_

Willow looked at Frisk with a serious but soft look. She looked tense, but Frisk could tell from her eyes that she had zero intention to judge what happened next. If anything, she did look a little scared. But who could blame her?

"_I think…I think you'll be okay Chara. I trust Willow."_

Chara sighed. Frisk closed their eyes, and when they opened them again, their Irises burned red. Willow swallowed when they saw their eyes changed but gathered the courage to remain steady. Chara curtly said "What do you want?"

"Are…are you Chara?"

Chara sighed as they crossed their arms and slightly turned away from Willow. "…Yes. What did you want to ask me?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for everything!" Willow exclaimed. "If I had been there to protect you, then maybe things wouldn't have had to go the way they did."

Chara was thoroughly flustered. "W-What!? You idiot! Why are you apologizing to me!? I should be the one who…who…" They looked down, not quite ready to confront their actions. Willow took it as a sign to continue.

"It's okay, really. I can't imagine how scary all this must have been. Ugh, this is so weird! I'm talking to Frisk, and yet, you're not them. I could have never imagined there would be a person inside Frisk's SOUL. How did this happen?"

"It's…it's a long story. But when Frisk fell into the underground, I attached to them somehow. Like how flower seeds stick to clothes, I, stuck to them. It's been this way for the past five years."

"Could you always talk, y'know, like this?"

"No. This is literally the first time I've ever been able to do this."

"And Frisk, where are they now?"

"I don't know. I assume they're inside…me? Or that they're still there? It's hard to tell."

"You wouldn't hurt them, right?"

"I WOULD NEVER!" Chara's outburst and sudden display of emotion caught Willow off guard. Chara looked a little offended, but backed off in an effort to not scare Willow. "…I would never hurt Frisk. Never again."

"I'm sorry if I upset you." Willow showed Chara a hurt look before checking her old-fashioned watch. She sighed. "I unfortunately don't have that much time. But one more question. Who are you…what happened that hurt you so much?"

Chara turned away from Willow as they looked outside the palace windows. "You're ridiculous. How am I supposed to answer something like that…?" Indecision struck them. Can Willow be trusted with the truth? And even if she could, would she even believe them? She really was just a mere human, after all. What's the point, anyway? To have some girl pity them? Chara didn't need that. They had more than half a mind to rebuke them before Frisk spoke up, from inside…them?

"_I promise Chara. You can trust them_."

"Gah! That was exceedingly weird." they said aloud, shocked at the voice that had found itself inside of their head. They were so not used to it that they didn't even stop and consider that Willow heard them too.

"What…was exceedingly weird? My tone?"

Chara glowed a bright red. "No! Not you! Ugh, fine! I'll tell you! We're not from here, okay!? We're…we're…" They struggled to find words that could fit their situation. Just how _do_ you describe a pair of time-travelling teenagers? "We travelled here, from another time. A worse one, with worse people and worse things." Very smooth, they thought. "Is that good enough?"

Willow had to keep herself from giggling, but seemed to buy it. She sat on their response as she turned to look outside too. "A different time? What do you mean by that? That makes no sense, unless…" she excitedly turned back to Chara "you can travel through time!?"

"SSHHHHHHH! Quiet down! Why do you yell so much, honestly!? And I literally just said that! How is that a revelation!? Yes, we're time travelers. End of questions!" Chara retreated into Frisk, and as they did, Frisk's consciousness found itself in the front again. They laughed a little at the comedy of the situation and would have laughed more if they didn't immediatedly feel dizzy after taking control again.

Frisk held their head with their hand as they sank into the nearest chair. "That was insane."

Willow still looked as if she was in disbelief. "You're telling me. Time travelers? That's bonkers! I can't believe you held out on me like that!"

"How do you come out and tell someone that!? It's impossible." Frisk said, turning serious at the end of the sentence. "Plus, no one else can know. I have my reasons, I promise. But if the others knew this, it would ruin everything. Willow, you _have_ to promise not to tell anyone else."

"I won't Frisk. I swear on the crown." Willow smiled as her communicator started to beep. "Ugh, there's a ton more that I want to ask you, but I guess now, between the honorary knighthood and this, I've got a reason to call you back now. So that's fine." Willow answered her communicator only to hear angry screaming from an irate Collette.

"Your majesty! Where are you!? We needed you back in the state rooms yesterday! You can't call for a ceremony and not be here to plan it! Honesltly, if nearly getting yourself killed in combat wasn't enough. Please, show some restraint!"

"Hehehehe, sorry Collette! When I heard that Frisk was awake, I couldn't help myself. Frisk! Did you see Collette?" Willow turned so that both she and Frisk would be visible to Collette. "She's doing well enough now to be in braces! Isn't that great?"

"Yeah! It's good to see you up again, my lord."

"Heir Frisk!" Collette exclaimed. "Always a please to see you! Excellent work at the cathedral, Britian really owes you a great debt. But never mind that! Willow! Get down here now! Before I have to send your boyfriend to come find you!"

"Wha, boyf- Do you mean Justin!? He's not my boyfriend! Ugh, fish sticks." She stepped up to Frisk and gripped them tightly, giving them the hardest hug a human probably has ever gave them. "I don't say this enough, Frisk, but I really am grateful you're in my life. You're like a sibling to me. I love you so much. And no matter what happens, I know this world will need your light. So, thank you so much for fighting. Keep it up, okay?"

Frisk heavily blushed as they felt like the life was being squeezed out of them. "I…love you too…Willow!" Before they could complain about their wounds aching, Willow kissed them on the cheek and ran down the halls of the palace. Frisk saw Willow smile back at them as she rounded the corner.

"Stay determined love!"

"Yeah…" they said to themselves. "Stay determined."

* * *

_London Elizabeth II Airport  
Thursday, May 1, 2020. 12:10 PM_

"Ugh, I'm so TIRED! We had to get up so early for that ceremony! And now we gotta leave just as I've finally gotten used to the time…" Undyne was first to board the plane, taking up her and what would usually be Alphys' seat as she plopped down to rest.

"CHEER UP UNDYNE! AT LEAST WE GOT TO SEE FRISK GET THEIR AWESOME AWARD!" Papyrus followed and sat down opposite Undyne, still beaming from the ceremony.

"YEAH KID! That was great! You totally deserve it for kicking the stuffing out of Cauldron! Keep it up and maybe someday you have as many as me! Fuhuhuhu!"

"BUT UNDYNE, WE ONLY HAVE TWO! AND FRISK ALREADY HAS BOTH!"

"I-I know! I've gotten other too, you know!"

Toriel giggled as she boarded the plane. "Never mind that, I am so proud of you, my child. Thank you so much for defending us."

"Mom, it honestly just makes me really happy that you're doing okay! It's so good to see you out of bed." Frisk followed their mom in and moved to sit up front. In order to ensure Frisk kept their distance, Asgore and Frisk swapped usual seats. They could almost curl up in his roomy seat.

"I feel the same. Thanks to everyone, I have nearly made a full recovery. I'm so thankful."

Asgore looked as if he wanted to speak, but refrained. It wasn't as if Toriel and him weren't on speaking terms – they could at least do that – but maybe he didn't want to push his luck. He simply smiled as he stepped on the plane and squeezed his way to the back. It was almost comical to see Asgore overflowing out of Frisk's comparatively tiny seat. They kept themselves from laughing the best they could.

Eventually, the transport made the short taxi to the runway and lifted into the heavenly afternoon sky, leaving London behind as the monsters found themselves within the world's enchanting light. Despite claiming to be tired, Undyne had glued herself to the windows to stare down at the world below. Papyrus did the same, and the two excitedly talked about the land below. Sans had taken the opportunity to sleep, again, and Toriel and Asgore were tending to their own interests. Frisk, admittedly, had never grown used to flying in the five years they had been doing it, and took advantage of the opportunity to see the world whenever they could. Seeing London, a sprawling city of 13 million people, from this high up weirdly comforted them, and it wasn't until their plane had turned and was finally moving past London when Frisk was finally found after being lost in thought.

Asgore called to them from the back of the plane. "Frisk, they are showing Willow's address on the television. Do you wish to watch it again?"

Frisk brought up the monitor and stared upsettingly at the proceedings that had occurred not even a few hours ago. It was nice to be praised by their peers, or to be trusted by their friends. But they couldn't shake the feeling that they didn't do anything right. Cauldron got away, Chara went berserk, and Frisk let it happen, losing their cool and years of training at the first sign of real trouble. Their friends were safe, but was this really okay? They listened through the conferral of their medial and decided to politely decline Asgore's offer.

"It's okay dad. But let me know if anything changed, okay?"

Asgore smiled. Frisk returned to the window as the entire world turned their eyes onto Buckingham Palace. To many, it would seem like this moment would come to define the beginning of the end of life in the world as they knew it. But for Frisk, this day would only be the end of the beginning to their truly fateful story.

"To the citizens of the Commonwealth, both here and abroad, the Great State of the European Union, and all who live in the free world, it is regrettable that I must come to you today during our time of mourning. But I believe that it is in this fateful hour of world history that it is more important than ever to affirm the values of our rapidly changing world."

Elsewhere, a young purple reptilian monster watches from a public screen in the middle of Oakland. The streets are quiet save for the occasional early worker, and she savors a rare moment of alone time to feel vulnerable about themselves and their future. She sits on a bench and watches Queen Willow as she speaks.

"Nearly a week ago today, the European Union found itself under the largest attack on sovereign lands since World War III. Three of London's most treasured institutions, Heathrow Airport, Pendragon Palace, and St. Paul's Cathedral, all sustained serious damage that will take years to recover from. Two different set of terrorists, the Human Liberation Front and the Order of the Black Cauldron, have claimed responsibility for this senseless loss of human life and liberty. If left unchecked, both groups stand to threaten the foundation of togetherness and unity that have supported our world in the decades following The Great Peace."

Elsewhere, a young man covered almost completely by a brown cloak listened intently to the speech, his back to the screen as he turned to face the lush gardens of Vatican City. A scowl grew on his face as he continued to listen to the young queen's ramblings. Behind the doorway to his office, another young cardinal listened intently. They both reminded themselves to report to the pope later as she continued.

"It must seem tempting to give in to fear. We live in uncertain times, on the cusp of an uncertain age that will certainly be the defining moment of our generation. For the first time in our world's history, we are faced with the extraordinary task of ushering in a new age of society with beings who have never known the light of our world. While some may see this as a crisis and a reason for hostility, our situation is a golden one, one where we are able to right the wrongs of our ancestors and to set a new precedence for mankind. While this may seem daunting, our efforts will ensure that our children, our grandchildren, and our great grandchildren will have the chance to enjoy the shade of the tree of peace that we will never get to see. It is important that now, more than ever, we do not give into the nameless, unreasoning, and unjustified terror which paralyzes our efforts to advance into the future."

Elsewhere, in the sprawling capital of the American Empire, a young man sits at the Resolute Desk in the audience chamber as a table of his advisors watch Queen Willow's speech intently. He rests his elbows on the table and his hand on his stubbly chin as he judges her, and the girl next to him, a red-haired young adult dressed in the nation's finest (and most fashionable) military uniforms sneers as the British queen. She continues.

"It is my devout belief that we must continue the work that our ancestors once set out to accomplish. When we embrace the future, we open ourselves to new possibilities and stories that expand our outlook of the world. It is natural to want to reject ideas that are foreign to us. It is human to believe that through power, we can gain the means necessary to protect ourselves. But it is through the acceptance of others that we grow into the best version of ourselves. Without this work, we remain doomed to be blind to the ways of the world. And while it is easy to distance ourselves from pain through power, we cannot hope to fix the problems of the world though domination and isolation. We must depend on each other."

Elsewhere, Alphys watches from the throne room back at the castle. Still in her limited-edition _Mew Mew Kissy Cuties All-Star Special_ pajamas, she yawns and rubs her eyes as she takes in the Queen's presence. She's surrounded by Muffet, Grillby, Mettaton, Red, and scores of other monsters who all made their way to the castle to watch the ceremony.

"To that end, I stand before the world today, on behalf of the European Union, affirming the right of existence to the Kingdom of Monsters, and articulating that no matter the threat, Europe stands tall in the face of adversity. It is our duty to ensure the continued peace of the world, and I call upon every willing nation to support the Union, and in all their acts, continually affirm and defend the right to existence for all beings. Our work is hard, and in no doubt arduous. But, through our acts and the blessing of God, we will surly prevail.

* * *

_The Underground_  
Deep Waterfall Area  
Thursday, May 1, 2120. 4:35 AM

The fountain of light rippled, surged and gave way as a tired-looking Cage limped out of it. Sighing that he, once again, found himself in a secret lab deep at the bottom of Waterfall, he ignored the display and the canine scientist Sirius working at her desk as he past and moved straight for the door. "I've done the work you asked me to. Don't really know how, but the London fountain is flowing. With that, I believe Cauldron's work here is done."

"Wait wait wait, Cage my dear, aren't you going to watch this speech? This little queen you bullied is hilarious! 'Without this work, we remain blind to the ways of the world!' I can't believe her right now."

Cage remained straight-faced at Sirius' howls of laughter. "Yeah, you're not going to think this is so funny when Sans and that girl come hunting for answers. Willow will probably have her hands tied, but what are you going to do when that skeleton shows up on your doorstep?"

"Oh, don't worry" Sirius smiled to let their jagged teeth show, heavily contrasting against the dog's jet black fur. "I have my own plan for Sans that I'm sure is gonna change his world."

The scientist snickered to herself as Cage continued to look unamused. "I'm grateful for you for ensuring that my operatives had safe harbor as they escaped out of here. But I hope you know our debts as paid. Next time we cross paths, I can't guarantee we'll be on the same side. So farewell, Sirius." Cage was half outside the door when he remembered to turn around and yell "Oh yeah, don't forget to disable the security to the exit! If I get caught here, that will _not_ bode well for you."

"Yeah, yeah, I understand. Go ahead and go."

The door to Sirius' lab closed behind Cage and she turned to her computer, quickly imputing various keystrokes before turning back to the blueprints that lay on her desk. Her smile grew as she read over her plans with a ferocious intensity.

"So, Flowey, are you ready for your big debut? No backing out on me now."

"I can't believe you'd partner with that disgusting man. What kind of monster would conspire against their own kind?" Flowey popped out of the earthy soil behind Sirius, who didn't turn from their work to acknowledge their presence at all.

"Ehh, it barely matters me." Sirius said, waving her hand as if asking for no dessert at a restaurant. "No matter what they do now, it can't undo everything I have planned. Soon, my goals will be realized! And _he'll_ finally be back in my arms."

Flowey displayed a look of contempt at the excited dog before looking back at the display. Their look of disapproval at Sirius' conduct quickly turned to one of hurt as they examined the news conducting an analysis of Willow's speech.

"Yeah Sirius, I'm ready. We can start tomorrow. I'll go along with whatever you say."

Sirius turned and smiled. Save for her red eyes and white teeth, her silhouette disappeared among the darkness. "Okay then. Let's truly make it a day to remember."

* * *

A/N - I honestly thought I would never make it this far, but here I am. Almost an entire year since I started writing Heavenly Blue, I finally finished the first arc! I know this fic isn't the best or the most well-written, but I can't begin to describe the feeling you get when someone genuinely enjoys your work. It's such a privilege to be able to write for all of you, and I'm so happy everyone's stuck with me this far. I have some really great stuff planned, so I hope that everyone really enjoys it!

The next arc has a heavy focus on our royal family: Asgore, Toriel, Asriel and Chara. In order to move forward into the future, we have to deal with the past, so I think it was inevitable that my fic would return to Mt. Ebott. Strap in, folks. There's gonna be a lot of drama in this one (and much less fighting).

The next chapter should be out soon, by the end of the month. Thank you so much for everything


	13. Welcome to Hell, Sunshine

A/N - Hold up! This chapter needs trigger warnings for implied sexual abuse, parental abuse, and the apocalypse. I highly recommend skipping this chapter or coming back to it later if any of these topics upset you. Knowledge of this chapter (Chara's backstory) is NOT essential to the main plot, so there is no pressure to read it at all.

* * *

August 19, 2019  
Puyallup, Washington  
7:34 AM

I awoke to my father shaking me early this morning. Normally, I would not have ever stood for someone waking me at 4 AM, but my father seemed adamant, anxious even, that we needed to leave now. I should have known then to be afraid; it wasn't like my father to show such visible and flagrant signs of fear. But he looked like death himself was coming to get us both.

"Are you still lying down, Charlemagne? We've got to go, now. Pack some clothes you don't mind wearing and come out to the living room. Make sure Madeline does too."

By this point, I knew I wasn't going to get any more sleep, so I begrudgingly obliged. I stumbled out of bed and picked out the clothes I could still stand to wear, and pulled out Madeline's old bright pink suitcase so she could do the same. It was weird. There were so many moments when I wanted to pack my suitcase and just leave town in the middle of the night, and it felt so weird to finally be doing so. Mother was already up too, digging through old boxes in the basement and pulling out old maps and camping gear. I wanted to grab some of my outdoor stuff too, specifically the kit I had made just for this instance, but with her down there, I decided against it.

Not even 30 minutes later, we were in the car speeding down Highway 18 towards Federal Way. This was so surreal. Where were we going? Why now? My dad would only say "away" as he anxiously looked at the GPS map in the car. Mother, who wasn't for listening to me, neglected to answer. I had decided to fall back asleep when I saw it. Felt it? A flash, then a boom, and then it was as if the world itself started to shake.

"Shit. _Fuck._" My dad cursed under his breath as he gripped the door hold for his life. Mother swerved and screeched as she tried to keep the car steady. Madeline and me both turned around to see a fireball to the north igniting the night sky, The more it grew, the more I could feel my heart sinking.

Madeline, still drowsy from being woken up, spoke up first. "Chara, this is just like my dream. an explosion over the trees."

"An explosion…what? What do you mean Madeline?"

Dad ran his hands through his hair. "Damnit Diane, when you said we had to go, you didn't say anything about a nuclear explosion hitting Seattle! Did you know!?"

"Of course I fucking didn't know what this was going to be! She only said she started having dreams last week! What were we supposed to do?"

"What were we supposed to do!? We could have warned everyone, we could have gotten our friends out, our families, your own mother! We could have saved people."

I swear I heard Mother's voice crack a bit when she responded. But honestly? I don't care. Do you know what she said? She had the nerve to turn to dad and say "There wasn't any other way." Disgusting.

I literally couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Wait, are you saying…"

"She's gone, Angeline. She told us to go."

I feel so fucking empty.

* * *

August 19, 2019  
Trout Lake, Washington  
11:53 AM

The bombs didn't stop. On every radio station, from every website, news flooded in about what seemed like the destruction of the world. Los Angeles, New York, Salt Lake City, Denver, San Diego, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., so many cities that I can't possibly name them all. In the time since we left, they're all gone.

A part of me feels like I should be angrier. Or at least scared. But I just feel empty. And alone? I don't know. Does anything really matter now that Grandma Clara is gone?

I'm going to go back to sleep.

* * *

August 19, 2019  
Pine Grove, Oregon  
1:05 PM

I was awakened by what seemed like arguing between my parents. Typical. It makes sense that they wouldn't be able to cope with the stress of a crisis. It sounds like they're discussing whether to buy more supplies or not. I looked behind us to see the trunk filled to the brim with food and water – where they would have gotten it is unclear. But mother seems to be pretty adamant on getting more.

"We should be getting as much as we can! Who knows how much of a chance we have to stock up before this gets any worse."

"I disagree, we already have enough for months. You saw Hood River, it was chaos. So many people are going to need the stuff we have."

"What about us!? You're so concerned about the family but this is where you draw the line?" Ugh. I hate her voice.

Next to me, Madeline is reading. I'm grateful that she was always patient and kind, but especially now, I can't help but worry about her. I asked her "Madeline, are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I've been reading _Harry Potter_ for school. It's really interesting, I don't know why you don't like it. They're magic, like us."

I fought my initial gut reaction of dismissal for Madeline's sake. "It's fine, I guess . I mean, they get to be in a magical world. We…well, we get to be out here. It's not the same."

"It could be. Maybe we'll get to use our magic one day."

Yeah, maybe.

* * *

August 19, 2019  
Adin, California  
6:55 PM

We just emptied the Fuel Commander of their last drops of fuel. I could see the owner roping off the gas station as we sped down the highway towards the South. I think it's become incredibly clear that we're not going to stop driving until we get to wherever we're going. Mother and dad have traded places and now he's the one speeding down the highway towards our supposed promised land. I'm so tired of sitting in this stiff chair. I'm tired of just munching on crackers. But I guess it beats being anywhere else.

I packed very little in the way of entertainment, but it's nice to see so much of the country. It's almost criminal how rich we are and yet how little we traveled. Mother seemed to do fine leaving without us, but dad almost always stayed with us. We never went anywhere together, unless it was to see Grandma. But do you know what? I can't really enjoy this. Because no matter where we go, the world looks ready to breathe its last.

It's cloudy everywhere. From the moment we started driving this morning, it hasn't stopped being cloudy. And the further we drive, the worse things seem to get. I can see the smoke from fires on the horizon, and the sky is unnaturally orange and dark. It's a grim reminder that devastation lies just over the horizon. Everyone on this trip so far has been mean and defensive, but I guess I would be too, if you woke up and suddenly the world as you knew it ended in your sleep. I can only imagine how these small towns are gonna fill up with people escaping the cities. And here we are, just another family escaping certain death. What kind of people does that make us?

This is exhausting. I may just try sleeping again.

* * *

August 20, 2019  
Buckingham Park, California  
2:27 AM

Ugh. How do I even go about explaining this?

We're here. I think. We've finally made it where I think we were going the entire time. We've stopped in a town on the lakefront that seems super quiet (even though it's late). There's a Wal-Mart here, of all places, so we decided to try and shop there. While we're outside, there was this lady sitting on the ground outside. She had fallen down, and I couldn't help but think "Well, why not help her?"

Dad went into the store with Madeline to see what they had left, and Mother decided to stay and guard our car. I carried the water bottle I had been planning to drink in the car with me and took the opportunity to reach out and be helpful. I said "Hey, are you okay?"

She couldn't have been that old. Maybe like, in her 60s? But she had this soft, frail voice, and she said "Oh! What a sweet child! I had come here to look for some more food, you know, with the news and all, but I tripped on the way here. Now, I don't think I can walk at all." She motioned to her swollen ankle, which did indeed look awful. "It's a real shame, because I don't know what I'm going to do now."

It was distressing to look at her. I don't know why I did what I did what I did. I probably shouldn't have. I probably should have just said "I'm sorry" and kept going at all. But it was the middle of the night of the first day of the apocalypse. She was alone and scared and helpless. And, worst of all, she reminded me so much of Grandma Clara. I could feel my heart ache just thinking about her. So I did something really stupid next.

"I…I have some first aid skills. Do you mind if I look at it?"

The woman was understandably shocked. "I…um, sure. I don't mind."

I had only ever used healing magic on Madeline before. Never any other human, and certainly no one who wasn't already magic. But I breathed in and out and held my hands over her ankle, and little by little, I could feel it. I could feel it healing. It's so weird. When I try and use magic, I can always feel it wash over me, like a wave. It's not something I could see or describe to others. But I just _know_ it works. I wish I knew more than healing magic. But for now, it's enough.

I held that position for about thirty seconds before the woman was confused enough to question me. God, I could feel myself getting so red. I didn't even think about how I would respond! How typical of me. I just got super flustered and said. "Your ankle! It's not fully healed, but you should be able to put weight on it now! Try getting up."

She looked really skeptical, but I insisted. And it worked! You should have seen her face when she stood up and was able to walk around. I know I'm not supposed to use magic but it felt…really, really good. She said "Oh! I actually can walk again! What a plesant surprise. And you did this?"

I know she was probably humoring me. Or thinking that she was playing along with some sort of act. But I stood up proudly and said "Yeah." And you know what? I honestly was proud to say it. "You can have this water bottle, just to be safe. Be careful out there, yeah?"

She thanked me and walked away, but not before I got a rude awakening for my actions. "Charlemagne! You did not just do what I think you did!"

Oops. My dad seemed pretty angry with me, and I guess he had a point. He had a couple bags of stuff with him, and Madeline was helping him carry some groceries too. I had no choice but to submit to his lecture.

"It's not as bad as it looks! She had no idea what I did, and she was old! There's no way she thinks it exists."

"That's not the point! You don't know what she could tell someone else. She could seriously endanger you if anyone else found out. You have to be more careful."

"Honestly Dad, why do we have to hide this talent so much? With the world the way it is, we could do so much good for so many people, yet you're always telling Madeline and me that we have to hide who we really are! It's not fair."

He sighed and leaned down to be at my height, shifting his bags of groceries so that he could put his large hand on my shoulder. "Chara, it's not fair. I'm sorry I have to ask this of you. But we've had this discussion again and again and the world ending doesn't change that. People aren't ready to see your talents. This world isn't meant to be a safe place for people like you and your sister. If people found out the things that you could do, there's no way that we could guarantee your safety. And we need you to be safe."

I looked away from him. On one hand, it felt so hard to not be angry at him for saying that. Who cares about the world, what about me? But then again, I can feel like dad really loves me, so much more than _she_ does. So then, why? Why can't he just find a way?

"I bet Mother wouldn't say that about me. It's not like magic matters to her."

He sighed. "It's not that simple. Your mom…your mom has a lot to work through. But it's because of your mom that we can be here. It's because of her that I know we're going to be safe no matter what."

"Oh, and why's that? Is she going to protect us?"

Dad grabbed my hand as he led us back to the car. "Do you remember the stories your Grandma used to tell you? About the war between humans and monsters and how they were locked away by the seven mages?"

"Yeah. You would tell us those stories too, about how the mages saved humanity. Why is that important?"

"Well," he paused "What if I told you that the Mt. Ebott in that story is the same as the Mt. Ebott in this area? And what if I told you that your grandmother knew this and brought property in this area when she was young? Would you believe me?"

"WHAT!? Are you saying that monsters are real!?"

"SHHHHHH. Not so loud. It's supposed to be a secret. But there's a chance that the monster cave may be real. And if it is, we have a chance that no one in this entire country has to escape this mess."

When we got back to the car, he opened the truck and then hugged me. "Chara. You are the latest in a long line of magicians who, with their magic, once saved the world. Your power and your heritage is the reason that we have a future at all. I hope it never comes to this, but you may represent the future for all of humanity. That's why it's important, now more than ever, that we keep you safe, okay? I love you so much.

I blushed as I sheepishly hugged him back. "I love you too dad, okay, jeez. But where are we going to put this stuff? The trunk is full."

"Oh, I guess you're right. Gosh." He made a silly face and voice that never failed to make Madeline giggle. I always hated it when he acted funny though. "You'll have to hold it then, champ. That okay? We're almost there."

I faked displeasure as I climbed back into the car with Madeline. Looking like she never left, Mother was up front, scrolling through her phone as she waited for us to return. "Took you all long enough. Get anything interesting?"

"Nothing much," my dad responded. "They just had a lot of oddities left on the shelf. Nothing non-perishable but a bit of essentials. I filled in wherever we had our biggest gaps.

"Surprised they're still taking money. Or that the people here haven't picked it clean yet. What an oddity. I guess we'll be able to get what we want soon."

My dad frowned as he buckled his seatbelt. "Of course they're taking money. This isn't the city, things are fine here for now."

My mom scoffed as she began to pull out of the Wal-Mart parking lot. "Yeah, for now. We'll see how long this lasts."

As I'm writing this, we're being stopped by two security guards, who are angrily interrogating us for our identities as my mother talks them over, something about a house that we have here on the water.

"What number did you say it was? And this stuff's legit?"

"Yes, yes, of course! Everything will check out, and I have the paperwork right here!"

They drone off together, before the two security guards talk amongst themselves and finally come to an conclusion. They hand us back our papers and dutifully say "Welcome to Camp Buckingham."

We drive through the dark forest before finally pulling into our home, a medium-sized cabin at the bottom of the hill near the water.

I can feel every bone of my body aching from exhaustion, but I'm fully prepared when Mother says "No one goes to bed until this car is emptied. And no more water for you Angeline. I know you gave your bottle away tonight. That sort of behavior is going to be unacceptable here."

I'm so pissed at her and I know I'm supposed to mind myself but I just don't have the energy to care. "It's Chara. And fine. I don't need your stupid water anyway."

"Excuse me, young lady!? Keep that up and you'll be drinking from the lake. That is not how you talk to someone who just worked to save you like I did. Do I make myself clear?"

"I'm, I'm -!" I could feel my frustration rising before my dad turns to look at me, disapprovingly. Madeline is waiting too, and looks scared. I can't hurt her. I was angry and frustrated, but I can't…! "I'm not a girl. But yes ma'am. You do."

UGH. We just finished and I'm so tired. But I had to get this out. Living here is just going to be even worse than living in Covington. Except now, we have nowhere to go. Tomorrow, we have to report to the clubhouse for a community briefing and it just makes me think, what exactly is happening here? How did my parents know? What's going to happen to us?

I'm too tired to think about all of this stuff. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. I'll deal with this tomorrow.

* * *

August 25, 2019  
Camp Buckingham, California  
10:15 PM

I don't think life is ever going back to the way things used to be.

It's hard to get a grasp on everything that's happened. It sounds like nuclear war occurred overnight. And despite our ability to block it out (my grandma apparently never invested in a TV), we can't escape the news on our peninsula on the lake. Every major city in the US is gone. The country is buckling under the weight of a paralyzing and collapsing society. Millions of people are dead and tens of millions more missing. The world that remains is witnessing the opening rites of World War III. And yet, here we are. Good ol' Camp Buckingham.

Our neighbors seem like stand-up people. Every weekend, everyone gathers at what I'm calling "Buckingham Palace," an old golf clubhouse that now functions as our community center. These people are a riot, I swear. Most of them had white-collar jobs before the war, and now that we're here, I can't say it's not satisfying to watch middle-aged men scramble to be useful. But even in the end of the world, it's those same rich assholes who get to dodge the worst work. The people with the biggest houses are stuck with the easiest jobs – fishing, boiling and distributing water, security, repairing boats and bicycles, and survival research. They're the ones in control. For everyone else, the "less educated" you are, the worse your job gets. The bottom of the totem pole is forced to scavenge other cities for supplies. And the worst part of all? Mother is in charge of all of this.

I farm. Most of the kids here farm. Some people are able to get out of it, but it's impossible to know what they do since I have to work all day. Dad is a doctor, and he's set up in a house down by the docks to act as our temporary clinic. He's almost always busy with the abysmal medical supplies we have and comes home very late. A lot of the men are just muscle, guarding our stores of food and the water treatment plant we somehow ended up with. And the women? They're the ones managing us; the workers, the food, the colony. It's almost like they predicted the apocalypse. Oh wait, they did. Another magical feat these pitiful people have Grandma Clara and Madeline to thank for.

Every day, I wake at sunup, and after what seems like a gloomy hour eating crackers, I go out to the old golf course and other open fields to help the kids prepare it for food production. Never mind that winter is coming and we don't have a fucking clue what we're doing. Never mind that the rain falling is most definitely irradiated and that we haven't seen the sun in literally a week. We're told we have to work or we don't eat. We get a small break for "lunch," and then we're forced to work until the sun goes down. After that? Well, you better hope the power is on. But it's not even like that matters anymore. We don't have a TV, our phones have stopped working, we have no internet, and no radio. All I can do is sit here, read, and write. The only saving grace about all of this is that Madeline gets to work inside if I commit to work the fields permanently. Fine. I guess. Don't drag her into this bullshit.

I actually went and confronted her. Mother. One day, after finally being allowed to leave the fields with dinner, I stormed into the clubhouse and called her out on all this bullshit. The work system, the control, the nepotism, and the fact that they routinely put people's lives at risk by forcing them to scavenge before letting them into camp. And do you know what her and her little board did? They threw me out. Her own child. Even now, I can feel my eyes feel with hot tears as I remember what she did to me. I'm still so livid. But I'm not surprised. She always hated us.

Can…can I be honest? After that, I did something I probably shouldn't have. I don't know what came over me. But for a moment, as some guy tried to drag me out of the clubhouse, I felt myself become…light? nimble? I don't know how to describe it, but in that moment, I felt like I was powerful enough to defend myself. I threw a grown man twice my size over my shoulder and broke a table as I walked up to Mother and yelled in her face. "My mother is a fraud! She is an awful, rich, white, suburban monster from Seattle who's coasted on her laurels and her money her entire life! She didn't predict this apocalypse, my grandmother did! And because she got a few things right, you're going to let this sham of a person lead this camp? You're all fools being fooled! She's going to lead us all straight to hell."

That certainly shut them up. But before I knew it, I had a gun pointed at my head and a few of the board members had backed up at the sight of my power. Mother was the only one to look me dead my red eyes and say "Welcome to hell, sunshine" right before I was knocked out and dragged back to my house. Not only did I wake up with a headache, I still haven't eaten today, which probably won't happen at this point.

I've never seen my dad openly sob before. But when he got home, I could tell how livid he was.

"Charlemagne, I can't believe what you did today! Not only did you use magic, you badly injured three guards! Unbelievable. I had to convince a lady that you weren't "The Devil's Messenger" earlier, so that she wasn't going to hunt you down. You can't do this stuff anymore."

"Dad, I couldn't help it!" I pleaded. "They were trying to hurt me! And you know why I did it! I didn't have any other way of getting through to Mother! She never comes home anymore. I never get to see her. And when she does, she always ignores me! She acts like she has nothing to do with me when in reality her kids are suffering!

"Chara, do you know how close you came to getting killed today? DO YOU!?"

"I don't care! If it means I don't have to live in this hellhole, what's the point? I don't think I can live in a world ruled by her anymore. I can't do it."

"Chara please, don't say that. You and Maddie are all I have, please."

"If that's even true, then why do you stay with her? If you know how bad she was, why didn't you leave!?"

"BECAUSE I COULDN'T! I…couldn't…"

My dad told me everything. About how he met my mother and how they fell in love. About grandma and the stories she told him about her past. About how mother was bitter when I inherited grandma's red eyes and Madeline inherited grandfather's light blue eyes while Mother's eyes were brown. And about how grandma believed that the barrier to Mt. Ebott would soon break and our family would be the only chance to save humanity from the magic of monsters. Worst of all, he told me that if he had left her, Mother would have kept him and us from seeing grandma at all. Mother is the reason we're here, not only safe and fed but also at the base of the only area where no one would ever find us. He had to stay in this hell, for me.

I promised him I wouldn't cause any more trouble, but I don't know. Can being eaten alive by monsters truly be worse than this? I'm a little more willing to take my chances now more than ever.

* * *

September 16, 2019  
Camp Buckingham  
9:12 PM

It's been cold these past few days. Sometime last week, our electricity finally turned off and didn't turn back on. While it was nice to finally stop receiving news from the outside world (and immensely satisfying to hear Mother grumble about "How the food has really gone downhill"), the lack of power means no oven and no heat. Now, the only thing keeping me from getting cold are the two sweaters I happened to pack before I left. But after today, I only have one. I actually gave the other away, can you believe that? His name is Lemel.

It feels weird to be making friends now, during the end of the world. And it's not like I have many, given people are afraid of my red eyes. But Lemel's a 15-year-old black boy who's been working the fields with us since we got here. Apparently, as Camp Buckingham was getting started, his family asked if they could live here, since this is pretty much the safest place around. And because they, and so many other asylum seekers, didn't own property here, they have to earn their way into camp. Whether that's through work, or otherwise. I feel sort of bad for them, because it looks like they lost everything. Yet everyday, Lemel goes to work without complaint. When I asked him why, he said it's because this beats scavenging with his parents, and judging by the fires we see from across the lake every night, I can't blame him.

Right now, Lemel's family is squatting in homes to the Southwest of here, at the base of Mt. Ebott. He doesn't have any heat or a fireplace, so I gave him my relatively new checkerboard sweater to keep him cool at night. It's…a little tight. But he played it off with a smile.

A smile…it feels good to smile again. It's so bleak here. Not even Madeline laughs like she used to anymore. So maybe this is a good sign.

* * *

September 24, 2019  
Camp Buckingham, California  
6:34 AM

Lemel confided in me that his family was out of food. His parents saved up whatever they scavenged in order to be turned over to the settlement, but that left them with increasingly little to eat. Meanwhile, while the food here isn't exactly great, we were definitely not starving. Matter of fact, I know that we have more than we could need right now. So we decided to take some for ourselves yesterday.

Late yesterday, after the end of our shifts and after the sun had set, we decided to sneak down to the warehouses at the Marina, where the food is held. The Marina lies at the northern edge of the peninsula, and it's directly adjacent to a field that I sometimes work on, so we already had an excuse to be there. Once we were inside the Marina, it was just a simple matter of Lemel distracting the guards while I dealt with the lock. How? I learned something new the other day. I can make knives turn red. I was clearing land near the old golf course, and in a fit of frustration, my saw turned red and cut through an entire tree in one push, like it was paper. Of course, I had to pretend otherwise, but it felt nice to know that I had a way to defend myself in this shitstain of a world.

Anyway, I got the garage open, and grabbed enough food that Lemel's family should be fine for the next week, when we were caught by Arthur, the man in charge of distribution for the entire settlement. He honestly couldn't stop us if he wanted to. I was armed and could easily see him despite the darkness because he and his men stupidly held lamps out in the open. I gave Lemel the food and told him to run. I would have done the same, if he hadn't said what he did next.

"You know, he'd never make it out of here with that, right? My guys could easily stop him."

"Says you. But don't think I'm letting you get past me to even try. You can't even see me."

"I can't see you, but there's someone I can see. Bring her out."

I can't articulate what happens next in words. He…he had Madeline. _He touched her. _**_And my fucking mother let it happen_**.

So, today, I start work as a security guard for camp. I report directly to Arthur. Madeline will take my place in the fields. And I can only shudder to think what will happen next.

One more thing. It was cold and snowy last night, so Madeline came to my room for warmth. Before I went to bed, she asked if I could sing to her. I don't think I've tried since we got here. I honestly didn't feel like it. But she was so tense. She laid with her back to me, and I remember lightly stroking her arm as she shuddered and tensed up at first before trying to relax into my arms. I relented and sang her the song that grandma used to sing to us:

_Summertime,__  
__And the livin' is easy__  
__Fish are jumpin'__  
__And the cotton is high_

_Your daddy's rich__  
__And your mamma's good lookin'__  
__So hush little baby__  
__Don't you cry_

_One of these mornings__  
__You're going to rise up singing__  
__Then you'll spread your wings__  
__And you'll take to the sky_

_But till that morning__  
__There's a'nothing can harm you__  
__With daddy and mamma standing by_

We both leaned in and gripped each other tight as we cried ourselves to sleep.

I don't care what it is, or what happens. But someone, please, rescue me from this hell.

* * *

September 27, 2019  
Camp Buckingham, California  
5:23 AM

That's it. I can't take this anymore. I've decided. I'm going to kill Mother.

* * *

October 2, 2019  
Mt. Ebott  
12:32 PM

It's too late. There's no going back now.

I worked on my plan for five days. In the morning, just before sunrise, there's a change in guard so that the night watch on the council's house can change. That was my chance to strike. While the change is happening, I would have sufficient time to break in from the back and slit her throat, quickly, and quietly. I can be back in my house before anyone notices that a simple field hand is gone.

I asked Lemel to help me. I thought about enlisting some of the other old fieldhands too. I told them everything. About the abuse. About the nepotism. About Mother. But they all turned me down. They really enjoy living in this crapsack of a world this much, huh? It's not like it matters, I guess. Lemel got what he deserved for not helping me. If he loved the abuse, the beatings, the adult scum in power at this awful place so much, I'm happy that he got to die with it. Fuck him. Fuck everyone.

I don't understand. I offered to do them a favor. I offered them freedom, a better way forward than this mess. Who cares how old I am when I can clearly show I'm the one that can change things? And if nothing else, the tyrants who rule this place don't deserve to live. How can they just submit to live in suffering? Why would they choose this over literally anything else?

This morning, I put my plan into action. I moved in the cloak of darkness down the ring road connecting all our houses, staying close to the trees so I wouldn't draw attention in the middle of the road. I was halfway to the council's house when everything went wrong.

Councilmember McKenna, that sanctimonious zealot…do you know what she did to wake the camp when she saw me move past her house? _She lit it on fire._

Lemel had been caught. It turns out that McKenna's daughter saw us and him talking to the other field hands and reported us to her bible-thumping mother. She was so convinced that I am clearly the harbinger of the End Times that she spent the past five days waiting for the opportunity to catch me in the act. I then found myself in an unwinnable situation where I pinned in by the local militia and a certifiably insane women with a bible and a knife. She threw a rock at me and it hit me square in the head. I fell to the pavement and tried to assess my options as this lady continued to close in on me.

"Behold! I have captured the Beast, the servant of Satan that wishes to lead us on a path towards death and destruction! Look at it, and bear witness, as we perform God's work and cleanse this demon from the face our planet."

"You're absolutely insane! Get away from me!" I held my knife out in front of me as I backed away from her slowly. When I realized she wasn't going to stop, I attempted to get up and to stab her myself, but I was grabbed before I could reach her. I now had no other recourse of retaliation as her modest house on the hill went up in flames. It wouldn't be long before what felt like half the settlement had gathered to witness my public execution.

"How did you find me!? How did any of you find out about this plan? I never told anyone any details. This should have been impossible."

"Well Beast, you have your friend to thank for coming to the word of God and turning against your wicked ways. I think his name was Lemel?"

"NO! What did you do to him!?"

"He repented for his sins and was punished for his actions, of course. But none of what happens next is any of you concern."

"You bitch…"

The security guard holding me scoffed as one of his buddies was eager to punch me in the gut. "Huh, it's this kid, huh? The one always in the striped sweater? Man, how did we not know earlier?"

"I don't know, but the red eyes are such a dead giveaway. I can't believe we let her live."

I was too busy recoiling and gasping for air to respond. The pain of a gut punch was unlike anything I've ever felt before. It felt like my chest was collapsing when I was suddenly dropped and stepped on by the guard. When I was able to open my eyes again, there she was. Mother.

"Mayor Savard, we caught your little demon child attempting to assassinate you this morning. She had a knife and was on her way to the council's mansion before Councilmember McKenna burned her house down."

That look of contempt on Mother's face. I hate her so much. As the guard continued to press on my side, I screamed and clawed at the pavement in a rage as I tried to get free and end that woman's meager existence. The cause of a lifetime of suffering was in front of me and I could do nothing to stop her.

"Of course it would be my fucking child. Angeline has always been a nuisance, I can't honestly say I would put murder beneath her."

That sycophantic zealot jumped at the chance to end my fucking life. "Please Diane, please let me have the honor of killing this demon. I would want nothing more than to perform this act in service of the Lord."

"Yeah Mother, wouldn't you love to be rid of me, you totalitarian excuse for a cuntbag! You could never live with the fact that I would always turn out to be more special than you. You could never accept me for who I was! It always had to be about you!"

Mother laughed. "Angeline, Angeline, how conceited of you to think this about you or your magic. I don't care about your supposed powers or heritage. This is about you thinking you're bigger than me or anyone else. It's all my stupid mom's fault for putting those lies into your head. But don't worry, you will be reminded of your place in this world. You aren't special at all.

"DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT GRANDMA LIKE TH-" One of the guards kicked me in the gut, causing me to stop in my tracks. I squirmed under their boot and retched as my mother approach.

She quietly whispered in my ear. "Your magic is _mine_. This is _my_ birthright. And I'm _never_, _ever_ going to let you think for a second you earned it, or deserved it, because it has been and always will be mine to take. You and Madeline will be mine to control until the day I decide I'm done with you."

I knew it. That woman, that fucking woman.

"We need to keep Angeline alive" my mother said, walking back to join the line of the other councilmembers. "Under no circumstance will she be allowed to die. Am I clear? Anything else you do to her is fair game. I don't care."

More than a couple of me behind me let out sighs of excitement. I had just about given up hope when the man who was holding me down was body slammed to the ground by my dad, of all people. He took on several of the guards as I retreated to the back of the group and looked on in horror. Admist the scuffle, he kicked me my knife and I used it to slash a man who had ran at me clean through his torso. The security members settled down as I tightly gripped the knife and my dad surrendered himself at gunpoint.

"Chara, go! Please, don't stay here. Just go!"

"What are you talking about, dad!?" I can't leave you, I have to stay here."

"No, Chara, listen to me. You need to leave now! Do not stay here. I can't protect you anymore. You have to get out of here."

"The hell she will! Angeline, if you so much as turn away from us, I will have them kill your dad right here, doctor be damned. Is that what you want!? More blood on your hands?"

"Chara, don't listen to her! We talked about this! You know what you have to do! Ugh-" Some of the security forces began to take turns shutting up my dad. At first, my mind was completely clouded by terror. I had no idea what he was talking about. But then I remembered – Mt. Ebott! He wants me to go to Mt. Ebott. Our plan all along was to find the monsters if the camp ever fell. Mother doesn't believe in them, so she would never expect me to go there. My strong impuse to run, however, was tempered by my attachments. What would happen to dad? And to Madeline? Could I really leave them behind?

"I…I don't know if I can do this, dad. I don't know if I can leave you. You've always been so kind to me, you don't deserve this. And Madeline – "

"Chara…" My dad struggled to get words out through coughing fits. "…I love you so much. I always have. You're such a kind and wonderful child. I'm sorry that I….that I couldn't be a better father to you. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you when it mattered…so please…"

"Dad, what are you talking about!? You…you were wonderful…" I couldn't stop myself from crying at the sight of my broken father. I took a step forward before my body froze at the furious look of my mother set against the flames of McKenna's burning house and the early morning light.

She raised her arm and pointed to me. "Don't let Angeline leave at any costs. Aim for their legs."

A bunch of men clicked the safeties off on their guns and cocked them so that they would be ready to fire on her mark. I was paralyzed. I truly, in that moment didn't know what to do. But then, I didn't have to choose.

My dad turned to my mother and finally, finally said "Diane, it's Chara. Their name is Charlemagne Savard."

The next minute felt like mere seconds. I pivoted on my feet and ran down the dark street at full force, tearing down the pavement and into the thicket besides the woods where it would be harder to target me in the dark. My mother, in her frustration, took the sidearm of the guard next to her and before I could see the result, let loose the first bullet. I couldn't turn around. No matter what. I couldn't look back to see what happened. I couldn't tell Madeline goodbye. I just ran, and ran, and ran, until I found myself staring back at the camp, the smoldering flames of the house illumining another cold, overcast morning.

It's about to rain. I need to find shelter before the irradiated water poisons me any more than I already am, but the tree cover around the rim of this mountain is so thick that I feel like I'm going to have difficulty finding a good place to rest. But I can't stop. I am the hope for all of humanity. And I won't stop until I've found Mt. Ebott and eradicated the monsters.

And once I'm done, I'm going to make her pay for everything she's ever done.

* * *

A/N - Whew, that was a tough one. I originally didn't have anything this elaborate planned for Chara's past, but I wanted to really talk about how humanity might change (and how that might affect Chara) in the days immediately following the end of the world. Chara's about 13 years old in this, and will begin the events of Undertale at that age too. In the present day, both Frisk and them are 17.

The next chapter will come out sometime in Mid-June. I promise it will not be as nearly as intense as this lol. To every single solitary reader still reading this story, thank you. I'm so grateful for your support.


	14. Until You Come to Me

_New Home  
The Underground  
Fall 2019_

Chara sat to themselves, staring down at the needle and thread on their lap as they contemplated whether to continue the sweater at all. It wasn't as if it got cold in New Home, or that they ever experienced weather. What would an eight-foot goat do with a sweater anyway? But, Chara wanted to do _something_ for Asgore after how they bit him the first day they arrived. The least they could do was give him was a sweater. Chara sighed and decided to continue anyway. They had just begun to work on the deltarune design when Toriel popped into the doorway.

"Oh, Chara, are you here alone? I could have sworn you were with Asriel."

"Nope." Chara said, not moving from their art project. "Asriel said they were going to play with some friends or something. Kids from the quarter. I told him to have fun."

Toriel dried her paws with a towel as she frowned at Chara. "Come now, wouldn't you like to have fun too? Those kids could be your friends if you just gave them a chance."

Chara scoffed. "I doubt it. A lot of the monsters seem…distrustful of me."

"But there are a lot who aren't! And they are worth getting to know. Don't you think so?"

Chara pouted as they stopped crocheting and turned to face the wall. "Maybe."

"That is better!" Toriel laughed. "Now, maybe you can start today by going to retrieve Asriel? Dinner is almost ready and he'll need to be home for it. You can do that for your little old Tori, can't you?"

"Fine! You win! But I get to have chocolate tonight after dinner!"

"Sounds like a fair trade, darling." Toriel giggled as she made her way back to the kitchen. Chara sighed as they threw on socks and began moving towards the front door.

New Home was depressingly gray. Using the resources available to them at the time meant building with the stone they could manipulate, and aside from the flickering flames of the houses below, much of the city lay within a large, somehow-lit, monotone cavern. Chara never grew tired of staring out at the municipal abyss from the cliff leading to Toriel's home, and often found themselves sitting on the ledge when life inside was too hectic. Being in the underground, after all, was a large adjustment that definitely took its time.

Not wanting to disappoint Toriel however, Chara wasted no time approaching the elevator and punching in the keys for the highest level of the city. They crossed their arms and closed their eyes as they tried to purge their mind of any unnecessary anxiety. It wasn't as if leaving the house or riding the elevator scared them; they just had not yet gotten used to what would happen next.

_DING! "_As the elevator doors opened, Chara could feel the piercing stares of the other monsters cutting a hole right through them. They moved through the crowd of monsters towards the fountain where Asriel sat. Expecting him to be surrounded by friends, it looks like the prince had found himself in a rougher situation instead.

Surrounded by a group of monsters, it looked like Asriel was being given a little bit of a hard time. Chara had missed how this confrontation started, but as they got closer, they began to make out more of their argument.

"My dad says that you can't trust a human! They're dangerous" said one bear-shaped monster!

"Y-yeah!" Said one that reminded Chara of a sea otter. "Real monsters don't hang out with humans, they're the ones who put us here!"

One particularly obnoxious Ice Cap said "I bet the human that lives with you is super mean too, right? Why don't you just take its SOUL already? Then we'd be free!"

Asriel looked like they had cried a fair amount already. They sat on the lip of the fountain, sniffling at the other monster's insults. But his face lit up as they noticed Chara cut through the crowd.

"Ahem!" Chara said, clearing their throat. The three monsters who had surrounded Asriel backed up upon seeing the human in person. Their shocked expressions brought Chara a modicum of joy. They tried their best to seem like they didn't care about the bullies and said "Asriel, get up. Mom says it's time for dinner."

"Oh! It's you, Chara!" The young prince leapt to his feet to hug his adoptive sibling. "It's so good to see you! Of course we can go home, I was just about done here anyway."

"I-Idiot! Not here." Chara's blush deepened as they pushed Asriel off them. They were trying to keep any more attention from being drawn to them, but it seemed like Chara's actions had the opposite effect: A Tsunderplane in the crowd got scared just as Asriel stumbled backwards.

"Eeek! That human pushed the prince! No! Don't hurt him!" Tsunderplane spawned a volley of plane-shaped magic bullets as it screamed. Startled and dumbfounded, Chara reacted with just enough time to dodge most of them, sidestepping to the left and right to ensure they missed them, but as the final plane approached, they bumped into the fountain, tripping over the side as the last plane came straight for them.

Luckily, they could count on Asriel for the rescue.

With one arm, Asriel grabbed Chara's collar just before they hit the water, and with the other, they harmlessly blocked Tsunderplane's last shot, taking a minuscule amount of damage compared to the harm direct magic would have caused Chara. Asriel triumphantly grinned as they posed to the cheers of the crowd.

"H-Hey, Asriel! Lift me up! I'm a little too close to home here!"

"Oops! Umm…hold on!" Asriel grunted and lost their footing as they yanked on Chara's shirt, causing the pair to fall together into the fountain. Asriel broke out into a joyous laughter while Chara tried to hide the embarrassment on their scarlet red face.

The three bullies, who had watched the spectacle unfold from the sidelines, took an opportunity to join in on the fun too.

"HAHAHA, THE HUMAN'S WET!"

"Watch out, I bet wet human feels disgusting!"

"ooooooh, Asriel and the Human, sitting in a tree~!"

Chara growled and leaned up to bark at the monsters. "Argh! Scram before I pull you all into the fountain too!"

"Yipe!" The three monsters ran away without another word. Their quick escape from the square caused Asriel to laugh even harder, even though the blush wouldn't leave their face at having their crush called out by another monster.

Chara, however, pretended to be less than pleased. "Honestly Asriel, you're such a dork! How dare you try and embarrass me like this…"

"Awww, you didn't like it? I thought it was fun! And you do have to admit, I was a little cool just now. I was even able to hold you up for a bit! I'm definitely getting stronger!"

"Stronger!? Don't make me laugh, I barely weigh anything at all! Lifting me hardly counts as strength." Chara got up from the fountain bed and began to wring the water out of their clothes.

"I don't know Chara, if you keep eating sweets all the time, who knows? Maybe you've already gotten bigger~ - Ouch! Why'd you hit me!?

"Honestly! The nerve…" Chara jumped out of the fountain and tried their best to fix their hair. They began to stomp back towards the elevator plaza. "I would expect a royal prince to have a little more tact."

Asriel got up and ran to catch up with Chara. He playfully said "Yeah well, I would expect a royal pr-…umm….a royal to be a little more classy! How are you ever going to find a partner like that!"

Chara stopped in their tracks. "…You're mistaken. I'm not trying to find anyone else." They spun around to confront Asriel and cupped both of their bright red cheeks between their hands. "The only person I need in the underground is you, Asriel. If we stick together, I know we can do anything." The blush returned to Chara's cheeks before they continued too. "Plus, you did save me just now too, so…yeah."

"Aww Chara!" they tried to say through their squished mouth. Asriel was very tempted to indulge in their praise but decided to comfort them instead. "Don't talk like that! They're afraid of your now but they'll get used to you! There's plenty of cool monsters in the underground. I'll sure you'll meet someone!"

Chara let go of Asriel's mouth. Their expression turned dour as they recalled the incident in the square. "Like your friends?"

"That's…! Well, I…There's…um..."

Chara sighed. "See? We have to be here for each other. Each other is all we have. And if we stick together, I'm sure things will turn out okay. You trust me, right Asriel?"

"Y-yeah Chara! I trust you! If we're together, there's nothing in the world we can't handle!"

Chara smiled. "That's the spirit."

* * *

_The Ruins  
The Underground  
Thursday, May 2, 2120, 8:38 AM_

It was quiet as Frisk approached the spot where they once had fallen down so many years ago. With a bouquet of creamcups in hand, they walked slowly through the caverns that connected the Ruins to the chamber where every human had once entered the underground. Frisk's heart ached with every step as the nostalgia of their past adventures, both good and bad, washed over them as they examined every stone, every switch and every puzzle on their way back to the very beginning. Inside them, they could feel Chara pulling away more and more with every step, and the closer they both got to their grave, the harder Chara made it to continue moving forward.

"Chara…you're heavy."

"_What!? Wha-Sorry Frisk. I'm still getting used to this body control thing."_ Frisk could feel the weight on their shoulders evaporate as Chara consciously tried to ease the tension they felt.

Chara spoke up to break the tension. _"Coming here is hard, right? It's hard for you too?"_

"_Yeah…every year, I always think that this will get easier, coming back through the underground again like old times. But honestly, it just gets harder and harder every time. I just…" _Frisk paused as they reached the cave where it all began. Just as it had five years ago, a single beam of light illuminated the patch of creamcups in the center of the cavern_. _Frisk swallowed before continuing._ "…I just wish Asriel could be here with us."_

Frisk hustled up to the patch and started scanning the creamcups for Flowey. They were meticulous, but it was clear from the beginning that if Flowey was here, they would have noticed from the moment that they walked into the cave.

"_Frisk, we can always come back. Ascension Day isn't for a couple more days. We always tend to come up for it together anyway, right? It's okay if Flo-Um, I mean Asriel isn't here."_

Not responding immediately, Frisk laid their bouquet down on the patch of creamcups and stared solemnly at the mound. They remained silent for several moments before kneeling in the patch and placing their hand among the soil.

"Flowey? I don't know if you can hear us, or if you're even there. But, I can't leave without saying something, without trying. I know I've done this every year, and I know that every year, nothing has changed. But…!" Tears began to well in their eyes. "I'm not abandoning you Asriel! I'm going to get you back and bring you home, no matter what!"

Frisk rubbed their eyes free of tears as they continued. "Asriel, you were the one who taught me that every person in this world was deserving of love and a chance to be shown that love. When I was fighting you, I realized that the only way that we're ever going to move forward is if we remember the hopes and dreams that others give us. I've never forgotten the sacrifice you made for us, and every day I've worked to try to build a future where we could all live together. A future where we can place our hopes and dreams in each other. It's been tough, you know? Not killing or being killed. I've…I've done some things I'm not proud of since then, but I'm not giving up! I can't… not as long as you're here."

"Asriel, I can't imagine the pain you must feel. It's been five years. Five years of sunrises and sunsets, of snow and storms, and all the life in between. And to have spent it all here, in the underground, I can only imagine how lonely it is to feel like the world has forgotten you here. But I haven't forgotten you Asriel! I never will! And I'm not going to rest until I've found a way to bring you back again! I…I swear it…"

Frisk tried to finish speaking, but couldn't say another word before they began to cry. Chara, who wanted to be as far away from here as possible, decided to let Frisk cry out their feelings before approaching them. Minutes passed with just the sounds of Frisk's sobbing and the birds above.

"_Frisk, come on, we should go. Maybe we'll see Asriel on the way back. But we can't afford to stay here too long, you know that."_

"Chara, did we fail Asriel!? What if he's mad at us because we left him behind? What if he doesn't want to be found? I knew that we shouldn't have left him here, I'm-"

"_Frisk! It's okay… really. I promise when the time is right, we'll meet Asriel again. But please, we need to go."_

Frisk looked mopey-eyed at the patch of creamcups before starting to bawl again. Chara sighed and looked on as their partner became lost in their sorrow. They considered taking control of Frisk's body, but even then, they knew they would never hear the end of of it, would they?

Chara sighed. _"Frisk, come on. We need to go."_

Frisk didn't stop crying.

"_Asriel will come back, I'm sure of it. But being here won't solve anything."_

Frisk didn't stop crying.

"_Frisk we literally have so much to do today, we need to get the train back to Grand Ebott! Or we'll never get through everything we have planned."_

Frisk's sobbing slowed down, but they were still distraught enough that tears continued to roll down their cheek. Chara could feel how little Frisk wanted to leave, no matter what they had to do today.

"Chara…why do you want to want to leave so bad? I…I don't understand. We can't... we can't…"

No matter what it felt like Chara couldn't console Frisk. Exasperated, the spirit took control of Frisk's body. "Okay, fine! We can stay. Ugh, you feel so heavy. We'll stay, we'll stay! – Just give me a minute." Chara stood up and took a long look at their grave with a neutral, deliberating expression. They let the wind blow through the hole for several seconds before they opened their mouth to sing.

_Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling  
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side  
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying  
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide._

_But come ye back when summer's in the meadow  
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow  
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow  
Oh, Danny boy, oh, Danny boy, I love you so._

Frisk was held in a state of quiet awe. They've never heard Chara sing before, and certainly didn't imagine it to be so lovely. Sniffling, they stayed quiet and let Chara continue.

_And if you come, and all the flowers are dying  
If I am dead, as dead I well may be  
I pray you'll find the place where I am lying  
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me._

_And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me  
And all my grave will warm and sweeter be  
And then you'll kneel and whisper that you love me  
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me._

Frisk softly said "Chara…" as they noticed tears welling in Chara's own eyes. Chara rubbed the water away and tried to maintain their composure as they continued to sing.

"_Oh, danny boy, the stream flows cool and slowly  
And pipes still call and echo cross the glen  
Your broken mother sighs and feels so lonely  
For you have not returned to smile again_

_So if you've died and crossed the stream before us  
We pray that angels met you on the shore  
And you'll look down and gently you'll implore us  
To live so we may see your smiling face once more."_

Looking solemn but remaining silent, Chara stood up and dusted themselves clean of dirt and seeds. They took one last look at their grave before turning around and letting Frisk retake control.

"_Let's go, Frisk."_

_"…Yeah, okay._" Frisk said, beginning the long walk back to the river person. "_When did you learn to sing like that?"_

Not wanting Frisk to be sad and silent the entire time, Chara decided to practice a bit of vulnerability. "_When I was a child, my grandmother used to always sing to me. I would always try to copy her because it made her and Madeline happy. I guess I was good at it."_

"_Wait, who's Madeline?"_

"_My sister."_

"Wait, what!?" Frisk said out loud, shocked. "Seriously? You've known me all this time and didn't tell me you have a sister!?"

"_Well yeah, we didn't talk about it. And you never asked. After all, she's surely long dead. That was over 100 years ago and…and a whole timeline away."_

"_W-would you mind telling me now?"_ Frisk said, making their cute face at the air in front of them. It didn't matter that Chara couldn't see it; they could feel it and they knew Chara _hated _that. There was no way they knew they could resist that voice and that look.

"Fine! But you can't cry anymore or anything, okay? It all begins a little over 100 years ago, in Seattle…"

As Frisk left the chamber, Flowey popped out of the ground on the far end of the room. Frowning, they watched Frisk leave before burrowing past them and into the Deep Waterfall area where Sirius' lab was located. When he arrived, Flowey found the scientist putting the finishing touches on a very large device. It was so large that it took up an entire expansive room nearly the size of the rest of the lab. Sirius was so hard at work that they didn't even turn to welcome Flowey back into the lab.

"Okay, they're leaving." Flowey said, at first facing away from Sirius' person. After she didn't respond, he sighed and turned his full body to face the jet black dog monster. "I don't have any regrets anymore. We have to do this."

"Mmhmm. Okay." Sirius weakly uttered a reply as they welded away at the large contraption. Flowey grew more and more annoyed at Sirius' ambivalence.

"Hey, you cold canine! This is serious business. We're about to mess with a lot of people here! The least you could do is give me, the integral piece of your puzzle, an ounce of your attention!"

That caused Sirius to stop welding. They lifted up their mask and turned around as they jumped to the floor. Their trademark jagged, toothy grin filled their face as they walked past Flowey out of the room. "Don't get it twisted, Asriel. _Frisk_ is the piece of the puzzle that I need. _You_ are a tool for me to use to get them here. Even if you fail, I have other methods. But just remember, I'm doing this for you. You should be grateful."

"Meh. Whatever, I guess. But it's not like this took a lot of effort on your part. Most of this stuff was already here, right?"

"That's right. They're _his_ relics." Sirius tapped away at her console, pulling up the underground's security feeds and writing several lines of code. "My Lord's machinery was not meant to synthesize life here, but thanks to _his_ flexibility, we might just be able to make it work for you."

Flowey grumbled. "Well, I hope so, for all of our sakes. Are we ready?"

"Aurora, Altair, and Vega are all on their way back. And it looks like our ambassador just left the underground as well. So, the question becomes, my dear prince, are _you _ready for what's about to happen next?

Flowey let hesitation show all over his face before summoning all his courage and saying "Yes."

Sirius turned their head and smiled. "Good. Then get ready. We're starting now."

* * *

_Aboard the Ebott Express  
Napa Valley, California  
Thursday, May 2, 2120, 10:41 AM_

Frisk and Chara were the only ones in the royal car as the train connecting Mt. Ebott to Grand Ebott rocketed through the Napa Valley. The train, just finished and built specifically at the request of Monsterkind, solved a diplomatic issue that connected the exclave of the area around Mt. Ebott to the Monsters' main home on an island in the San Francisco Bay. Out of the ashes of World War III, and the limited nuclear conflict to occur in this timeline, rose a city of nearly 15 million people and monsters, all of them centered on Oakland, the new provincial capital of California. For Frisk and Chara both, whose experiences with the world differ greatly from the ones in this timeline, flying past the collections of towns and cities on the way to Grand Ebott felt like a glimpse into a life that both of them would never get to live. Frisk had turned their chair to face the window as Chara continued to tell them the story of how they fell into the underground.

"…_so that's it. When I fell in, I expected to be tortured and killed, or at least taken hostage. The very last thing I expected was to be integrated into a family instead."_

"_I see."_ Frisk said. They kept their chin in their hands as they tried to contemplate Chara's unbelievable story. _"Did you adjust well? I imagine it must have been hard to be in a family like that, after, well…everything."_

Chara sighed. _"Honestly…not at first. I was pretty awful to everyone in the beginning, especially Asriel. And no matter how nice Toriel or Asgore was to me, my gut reaction was to always treat them coldly. And yet…"_

Frisk stayed silent for awhile, watching other trains and vehicles pass in front of the sprawling, pulsing city behind them. Frisk absolutely envied how people got to spent their entire lives enjoying the luxury of living and breathing with the city, becoming one with its energy and getting to grow and change together with it throughout time. Human cities where places that truly felt amorphous and alive compared to the stagnant feeling of the underground. It was hard to not the envy show on Frisk's face.

"_They took you in Chara. You were able to grow with them. You hard another chance."_

"_Another chance…heh, that isn't the way I would put it. I would say that I got exactly what I deserved at the end."_

"Chara!" that bit of self-depreciating humor made Frisk sit upright and say that fallen royal's name out loud, but fortunately for Frisk, the car was empty. Frisk slumped down in their chair and began to admonish Chara.

"_What happened wasn't your fault! You were 13, the entire world had literally just nuked itself to pieces. You were scared, and hurt, and lonely, and you just wanted to help your family and do the right thing. You can't hold that against yourself."_

Chara scoffed. They thought about directly responding, but decided that they didn't want to hear anything nice Frisk may have had to say about them. They instead turned their attention to the gleaming skyscrapers of Marin City and Oakland, which towered like monoliths over the San Francisco Bay. The train was beginning to slow down as it approached its destination, giving them both more time to ruminate over the world they had discovered.

"_Do you ever get used to this, Frisk? I mean I still don't know what the world looked like when you fell in, but I do know we're far from what either of what our worlds used to look like. I can't believe we ended up in the future of another time."_

Frisk frowned as they slouched over the window frame and stared absently at the gleaming monuments to human progress on the horizon. Frisk had yet to disclose the secrets of their past in any of their runs, even to Chara, so it always left the spirit waiting intently for whatever answer Frisk would provide. After a moment, Frisk said _"No. Cars, skyscrapers, even electricity. We didn't really have any of that in my time, probably as a result of what happened in your's. I didn't even ride a train for the first time until we surfaced five years ago. This world is so foreign to me. Yet, somehow, I was still able to love it."_ Not turning from the window, they asked Chara the same question. _"How about you? Looking at the sea, it's hard to fall in love with this place, right?"_

Chara groaned. _"Ughhhhh Frisk, don't make me say it. It is pretty. But before five years ago, I had never even seen the ocean. Mother was afraid of water. And after the bombs fell, well…I think everyone's last priority was to go swimming in a toxic lake anyway. I'm so envious, Frisk. It's cloudy here a lot, but on some days like today, the sun shines through and the sky is such a brilliant blue. It wasn't ever like that after the war started."_

"_Right!"_ Frisk snapped up and put their fist in their hand as they remembered a question from earlier. _"Your sister! What happened to her!? You said Madeline was the descendant of the Sage of Patience from long ago, right? Do you know?"_

"_No, unfortunately."_ Frisk could see Chara's reflection in the window look a little down at that response. _"When we went back the compound, we didn't have a chance to look for her. And then we died. Anyway, we jumped timelines, after all. Who knows if I even fell in this world?"_

"_I've been thinking about that too."_ Frisk said. _"We did jump timelines, but everyone here still seems to talk about you and Asriel like that incident happened. Even Asgore will mention you by name sometimes. If that's the case, then a Chara must have existed here too, right?"_

Chara shrugged. _"Who knows? Honestly, the answer isn't important. You're the one who went through the underground for the final time. When you awoke on the flower patch for the final time, it was me that was with you. That's all that matters to me."_

Frisk took pause from that answer. Chara had a point. If there were another Chara spirit waiting to get attached to them, wouldn't that have happened upon falling into the underground? There's always a chance that they overwrote themselves in the timeline, like a file saving over itself. But Frisk couldn't help but wonder at the state of the world before their time, and the lives that would have been led before them. Would they have died differently? Would Asriel have been treated better? History books were enough, but no book would have ever recorded the fates of their predecessors. But ultimately, it felt like it didn't matter; the world was similar enough that they were able to integrate without question, so how different could it be? They wouldn't get a chance to ponder the topic further before they saw the blue and grey spires of New Castle.

Chara sucked their teeth before speaking up. "_Here we are. Grand Ebott, our small enclave of peace surrounded by a sea of humans. Disgusting."_

Frisk put their hand up to the window as the train began to slow down. _"One day, Chara. I promise things will change."_

* * *

_University of Cascadia-Ebott (Alphys' Office)  
Oakland, California  
Thursday, May 2, 2120, 11:24 AM_

"OKAY SO WAIT…just to make sure I have this straight. When you fell into the underground, Chara's spirit attached to you and they've been with you ever since? You can hear them and sometimes see them, and ever since getting back from the EU, they can take control of your body!?"

Frisk, red in the face, stared off to the side and bashfully scratched the back of their head. "Y-Yeah, that's just about all, hahaha…"

Frisk could see Alphys trying not to trip over her own disbelief. They tried to give her a reassuring look, but Alphys was far too phased to be convinced otherwise. She rifled through the charts on her tablet before even throwing that aside and running up to Frisk. "H-H-How!? I don't even know how this should be possible, really, but you're here so it has to be! You fell in 2115, but Chara fell down in 2020, so that means that 95 years would have had to have passed before their essence bonded to your's, Frisk! But-!"

"I know that it seems…a little hard to believe." Frisk said, cutting Alphys off. "I don't completely understand it either. But if it hadn't been for Chara, I never would have made it through the underground, let alone be sitting here right now. I think our determination was high enough that I was able to well, just, awaken them."

"Determination…hmm…." Alphys picked up her tablet and scrolled through her charts again. "I guess that could be possible. Frisk, your determination levels are unlike anything I've ever seen. As for Heir Chara's, I can only imagine if their...if their…essence had existed for this long. As for this level of violence, however-!"

Frisk, wanting to dodge a potentially uncomfortable question, interrupted Alphys again. "Would you want to talk to them? Chara, I mean? I'm sure they could tell you things I couldn't."

Chara sounded absolutely betrayed _"W-What Frisk!? What do you mean, of course I don't want to talk to that scientist-!"_

"OH WOW COULD I!? W-What do I need to do!? Do I need to look into something or face a certain way?"

Frisk giggled and smiled. "Nope! Just wait right there." Closing their eyes, they went to egg Chara to come forward. _"Come on, pleaseeeeee? Just to get her off our backs. If she got too suspicious of us, that's be a problem and you know it."_

Chara let out their loudest groan of the day. _"UGHHH FRISK! You ALWAYS get your way! You totally owe me later, okay? One King Size Muffet Caramel Chocolate bar, as soon as we get back. No exceptions, you have to let me finish the entire thing!"_

Frisk whined. _"What, Chara!? No way, that's so unhealthy, I can't do that."_

"_Uh Uh, no way! I'm not giving in to your pouty face again. No chocolate, no deal!"_

"_Hmph. Fine." _

Frisk let their consciousness recede as Chara came to occupy the forefront of their shared body. Blinking awake with Red eyes, they looked a very excited Alphys in the eye before giving her a very curt "Yes?"

"OMIGOSH there's so much I want to ask you! This is so amazing, first off…" Alphys trailed off as Chara gave the royal scientist a death glare that could kill a Whimsum. Knowing Frisk would admonish them for anything too mean, they softened their face a bit before responding.

"Could you please just ask one question for now? I promise me and Frisk will come back for regular checkups, we're just…very tired. We had an early start to the day, and we just want to go home to rest."

It was only a little past 11:30 AM, but the delivery enough might have been enough to sell that line on anyone. Alphys did a double take at the time before taking deep breaths and facing the human again.

"Y-Your majesty. I know must be tired, but please, can you allow me two questions?"

Chara kept up their look of displeasure up but displayed a very subtle glance to the side as a show of deference. "Fine."

"Thank you!" Alphys opened her tablet's notepad and began to have it record notes on her behalf. "The first thing I want to ask is about…w-well, about you. About your SOUL. Do you have one?"

Chara closed their eyes. "No. I'm not sure how to describe this, but it feels like when you're playing a video game now, with the headset and the sensors. Like you're yourself, but occupying another space in another time. It all feels real enough, and at the same time, it doesn't. I _feel_ things, but anything that I happen to feel is really happening to Frisk."

"I see. A-And the second question is about…y-your…your…unusually high LOVE, your majesty."

Chara shifted in their seat at the sound of pleasantries "Please, Alphys, call me Chara."

"R-right! Sorry…Chara. So, if a regular human had a LOVE as high as you do now, they would normally be prohibited from approaching the Kingdom at all. Not to mention the fact that they would have already committed several criminal acts. But what's baffling to m-me is that this LOVE appeared out of nowhere LITERALLY overnight. Records from your death indicate that you had a LOVE of 1, as did Asriel. Frisk receives four check-ups a year and I've never noticed anything abnormal. Do you know where this came from?"

Damn, of all the questions she could have asked, it had to be that one. Figures she would ask the toughest questions first. A smarter Chara should have picked the question for her. They avoided eye contact with Alphys while they struggled to think of something to tell her.

"_Oh Frisk, you so owe me for this one. As if Willow wasn't enough, you love putting me up for the tough questions these days, huh?"_

"_Sorry! I promise I'll eat the entire chocolate bar, even if I don't want to, okay? Or better yet, you can eat it yourself now, can't you? I'll just let you do it."_

Chara paused before cracking a devious smile. _"Just be glad I'm merciful, Frisk. Now, for your first act, you'd better help me answer this question."_

"_Oh. Just say you don't know. We don't owe Alphys an explanation. And even then, we can't be sure our LOVE is from our past actions. So why make it out to be like it is?"_

"_I…You're…I guess you're right, wow."_ Chara let the shock fade from their voice and focused their attention back to Alphys.

"_Of course! I'm a diplomat, after all. Don't think all of these negotiation skills haven't come in handy."_

Speaking to Alphys, Chara said. "I don't know. It's true that fighting Cage, Frisk and me did some things that we're not entirely proud of. But it was a stressful time, and the lives of so many monsters were on the line. It all just kind of got away from us. But I promise we didn't kill anyone."

Alphys watched the last of her notes record themselves before looking up and giving a smile to the lost heir. "T-Thank you Chara! Whatever you can provide is a big help."

"Sure, no problem." Chara said before closing their eyes and letting Frisk's consciousness regain control of their body. Frisk blinked a couple of times to regain focus and Alphys mumbled to herself about her Frisk's change in eye color from Red back to brown. When she finished, she snapped her tablet shut and went back to desk to sync with her computer.

"Alright Frisk, well, I think I've think I have enough to think about for one day. I'm going to extract some blood and I'll be sure to send you on your way. OH! And before you go-!" Alphys reached into her drawer and pulled out a bracelet. She held it up as she talked. "I've been working on this all week! This bracelet will mask your LOVE! That way, other monsters shouldn't notice your aura as you pass them. BE CAREFUL THOUGH, because it doesn't reduce your LOVE. So whatever you do, make sure you don't attack any monster for any reason, okay?"

Frisk excitedly accepted the bracelet. "Does this mean I get to hug monsters again!?"

"Y-Yes! It should be absolutely safe to leave quarantine now! Just remember to-!" Before Alphys could finish, Frisk had hopped off the table and picked Alphys up into their embrace. They giggled as they swung her from side to side. "F-Frisk! Y-You're going to make me dizzy!"

"OH! Sorry Alphys, I'm just so happy. I haven't been able to be close to anyone since returning from London and ahhhhh, this is wonderful." Frisk put Alphys down before smoothing their clothes out and sitting down for the blood drawing. "Before I go, Alphys, I have a major favor to ask of you. Do you want to hear me out?"

"Sure Frisk, I don't mind. What is it?"

The playfulness disappeared from Frisk's voice as they readied themselves to ask a very hard question. "I know you would have told me about it if you had anything to say, but do you have any news on Project Echo Flower? I…I went to visit their grave today for the anniversary and…I…I just miss them a lot…"

Alphys' smile soured as she prepared herself to console Frisk. "Frisk, I…I don't…I haven't made any progress on it. To be honest, without Flowey here, I don't know if I'm going to be able to do much of anything at all. There's still so much about determination I don't know. I even dug up some old plans left behind by the last royal scientist for using ambient magic for healing souls! But without actually having a monster SOUL to heal, there's no guarantee that Flowey wouldn't turn into…well, you-know-what again. And after my…last incident, I can't afford to make any mistakes again. You know that."

"Yeah, that makes sense! I…I understand." Frisk tried to assure Alphys of her efforts but fell short of comforting her. "Maybe you could use me? I mean, Chara and me are a special case, but I'm sure that we could be of some help to your cause."

"_Frisk…!"_ Chara warned. But it wasn't necessary.

"I-I-I'm sorry Frisk." Alphys responded. "There's just too much I don't know. Maybe in the future, things will change, but for now, I've done all I can. I really do feel bad."

Frisk tried their best to hide their disappointment for Alphys' sake. "It's okay Alphys, really! You've done so much for all of us already! I know you're just doing what you can. It'll be okay some day for sure."

Alphys walked over embrace Frisk one more time before opening the door to her lab. She truly felt sorry for Frisk, Chara, and Asriel, and for the part she played in their entire story. Alphys had accepted Frisk's hope that things could be changed, that she could make amends for the mistakes of the past. But just as separating the amalgamates proved to be impossible, restoring Asriel without a physical body or soul was also proving to be highly difficult. No matter how much she wanted to change things, she knew now that she couldn't do everything and that she shouldn't try; There were some things that she just had to live with. At a loss for words, Alphys offered Frisk a weak, but soft, smile, and said "I promise to keep doing my best. If I find out anything, even if it's minor, I will let you know. Promise."

In contrast to Alphys' dour demeanor, Frisk widely smiled as they retrieved their suit jacket from the coat rack and left. "Thank you for everything, Alphys."

Just as Frisk walked out of Alphys' personal lab, Alphys called "Oh! Remember to sign out with Artemis before you leave."

Artemis perked up at the mention of his name. A short and small boy with a baby face and a peculiar sense of vintage fashion, he apathetically started swiping away at his computer as Frisk walked by. He said in a sleepy fashion "Right away, Dr. Alphys. Heir Frisk, if you could be so kind as to scan your ID pleaseeeeee."

Red, who was waiting in the reception room for Frisk, was taken aback by Artemis' casual tone. "Artemis! Don't you address a member of monster society like that! Especially someone of a royal stature! Apologize!"

Frisk tried to laugh if off. "Red, it's okay, really! I didn't see it as offensive at all. You can stand down."

Red let her cape relax to the floor as she turned her face to hide her embarrassment. She bashfully responded "Yes, your highness."

Unamused, Artemis pinged the details of Frisk's next visit to their calendar. "You should be good to go, your highness. Just remember to update us if anything changes."

"Right Artemis, thanks for your help again!" Frisk offered him a genuine smile and Red glared backwards at Alphys' human assistant as both of them left the room and made their way to the elevator leading back to the campus grounds. On the way, Red vented about the manners of the "kids these days" (even though she herself was very young by monster years), and the two caught up as they gossiped on all the news of the day.

"Your highness, did you hear that monsters are still going missing? Not from the Kingdom, of course, but from Monstertown?"

"No, I didn't. Has Sans or the Cascadia Office of Central Intelligence found anything?"

"Nope, as you expect!" Red pouted. "Can't expect those humans to be much help on anything!"

Frisk chuckled. "I'll reach out to Cascadia and the Mayor of Oakland later. But for now, do you have anything good to tell me?

"Well, Aaron and Vegetoid just dove in together on a new health gym near the square! It's been a big hit so far. And Muffet's just about to open the Monstertown branch of her café too!"

"Neat! We'll have to come back here sometime to try it!" Frisk said. The pair began to cross the Alameda Bridge, the only above-ground crossing point between Cascadia and the Kingdom of Monsters. At the zenith of the bridge, they both greeted Dogamy and Dogaressa as they swiped themselves in and began to make their way to the reconstructed Castle Dreemurr just a little bit away. The castle, still beautiful and recreated painstakingly to look as it once did in New Home, paled in comparison to the size and scale of the towering city just across the water.

Upon arriving at the steps to the entrance, Frisk shook hands with their loyal royal guardsman. "Thank you for all your help, Red. I can take it from here."

"Okay, your highness! You can't be too careful now, with Cauldron attacks on the rise and all. I'm just happy we got you home okay. Asgore is out at the moment, so you'll be here alone. However, feel free to call me or Papyrus if you need anything."

"Will do, Red! See you soon." Frisk gave out one last smile for the day before passing into the palace and letting the exhaustion take over their entire body. Upon reaching the royal wing, they wasted no time stripping out of their business clothes and making their way to the small personal kitchen Asgore and Frisk kept for leisure cooking.

The closer they got to the fridge, the more devious and excited Chara sounded. They actually sounded like they were smiling, for once. "_Well Frisk, you promised~! You ready for a great treat for your tastebuds!?_"

Mustering the strength for one last smile, Frisk responded with tiredness and love "_For you? Always_."

* * *

_New Home  
The Underground  
Spring 2020_

"So that settles it then." Chara said, closing the book on _California Fauna_ in the castle's grand library. "I will consume the buttercups, and when I get sick, you will take my soul and pass through the barrier."

Asriel's face looked filled with hesitation "I... I don't like this idea, Chara."

Chara's voice deepened at the resistance they received from Asriel. "What? Asriel, we can't stop now. We have to do this. For Asgore, for everyone. Are you saying that you do not want to work with me then?

"Wh.. what? N-no, I'm not..." Asriel's eyes began to fill with tears at the thought of having to assist their sibling and best friend in their suicide. Why would freedom matter if it was a freedom without Chara? He wanted to complain, to speak out about how crazy this all seemed. But Asriel couldn't bring himself to do it.

Sensing Asriel's emotional turmoil, Chara sighed and put down the camcorder still in Asriel's hands. They then grabbed one of Asriel's paws while Asriel rubbed their eyes with the other. "I'm sorry. I may have been a bit too harsh. But Asriel, this could be our chance. You're strong. You're special. You can do this. And you know what you always say, right?"

Asriel stopped sniffling long enough to respond. "... big kids don't cry."

"Right. This is…." Chara paused. "This is…really scary. I have no doubt that this is going to be hard. But you know, for so long, neither of us have wanted anything more for monsters than to be free."

Asriel tried to put on his best determined face, even though he still looked thoroughly sad. "Yeah, you're right."

"I believe that we can set things right, that we can become strong and save everyone. We'll chart a brand new path for humans and monsters." Chara paused, remembering Asriel's previous hesitance to the plan before pensively pulling away and saying "Look, Asriel. You're the only person in the underground I can trust with this. I really do need your help. Unless, you still don't like this idea, then I guess I could always…"

"No! I'd never doubt you, Chara! Never!" Asriel shouted.

Chara looked as if their spirit was renewed by Asriel's hope in them. They felt a little bad for convincing them go along with this plan. But Chara was resolved to see this through. Monsters did not deserve to be locked up underground while humans were allowed to ravage the planet time and time again. There truly was no greater injustice that stuck out in Chara's mind. And since Chara was the only human in the underground, the burden to save everyone had to be on them. Only Chara alone could make the humans pay for what they've done. Starting with their mother.

Chara hugged Asriel and gave the most genuine response they might have said all day. "Thank you Asriel. I promise, we're going to make things right. We'll be heroes, okay?"

"Y... yeah! We'll be strong! We'll free everyone."

"Do you remember where the flowers were last time? Near the barrier? Do you think that you could grab them again? I'm going to prepare myself here."

Asriel nodded. "I'll go get the flowers."

* * *

**A/N** \- Here it is! This took so long to get out for a variety of reasons, but the majority of it ends up being that June 2020 was a hard month to be a black trans women in the United States. Not a day goes by that I don't think of this fanfiction, but I had so little mental energy to do anything else at the end of most days except rest, so work on this chapter progressed really slowly up until the end of the month. For everyone who stuck around during my hiatus, thank you. I really do appreciate it.

Welcome to the surface! It feels exciting to finally get to the meat of the story and into the massive, massive world where our characters spend their time in. This was another chapter that I had been envisioning since I started writing, and as all things go, it turned out slightly different than imagined. But I think I'm still happy with what I ended up with. Exploring the character arcs of the royal family is something I had a lot of fun with, and it's something that I hope y'all enjoy too.

Red is a wonderful character from the fangame Undertale Red (tumblr dot com /post/135354499621/undertale-red) created by Taxiderby. They retain all rights to this character and I highly recommend that you check the game out!

Thank you to irlgoomy for proofreading my work and making all of this possible. Goomy is working on a beautiful fan adventure called Deltastuck (mspfa dot com /?s=33534&p=1), and I promise that if you like this story, you're going to love what it has in store.


	15. Fateful Encounters

_Camp Buckingham, California?  
Daytime  
Spring 2020_

The sun was blazing down on Mt. Ebott, and from the clearing where Chasriel emerged from the mountain, they could do little to stop themselves from taking it all in. They had finally made it, and not only was the world wide as heck, it was bright too. They vainly tried to protect their aching eyes from the rare, brilliant sunshine.

"_So, that's…that's the sun? It's…brighter than I ever imagined! It hurts, but it's beautiful."_

"_Yeah, wow. I had forgotten how it all looked too. There aren't a lot of sunny days here." _Chara responded, moving their arm for just long enough to squint and spot their village on the horizon. A part of them desired to appreciate the truly beautiful sight of the valley from the mountain. But wanting to enact their plan took precedence over anything they wanted. Chasriel sighed as they looked down and began to move towards the ledge. "_There it is Asriel, Camp Buckingham. Let us go."_

Before Asriel could respond, Chara had already directed their shared body to slide down the side of the mountain and into the forest below. The newly-combined Chasriel had taken on the form of a much older-looking Asriel, chiseled and fit under the caretaker robes they had snatched from their mother. Even with their body in their hands, Chara had no problem directing their new body down the incredibly steep cliffside and coming to a stop with grace. Despite all their determination and magic, they have never felt so powerful until this moment.

Chara smiled and laughed as they tore through the brush and the trees in the forest. The animals didn't stand a chance; birds and deer gave way as the monster ducked under branches and hopped over tree logs. "_Hahahaha, Asriel, this is amazing! I…we feel great! This is so much better than anything I could have ever imagined!"_

"_Y-yeah! Definitely!" _Asriel cautiously agreed. They tried to sound optimistic for Chara. _"It sort of stinks that we can't get your body back now. But at least we'll be able to save everyone!"_

"_Yes, Asriel, thank you! I truly couldn't have done this without you!" _Despite controlling their movement, Chara could feel their body tense up and blush at that remark. Was this how Asriel felt when they complemented them? It shocked them to experience what Asriel's love felt like.

Their newfound feelings gave them enough pause that they skidded to a stop once they reached a clearing on the side of the mountain. Chara could feel Asriel's delight at seeing the mountains and the lake light up against the vast blue sky.

"_Amazing! I can't believe how beautiful the world is! Chara, we'll get to live here with everyone?"_

Chara hesitated to answer, vacillating in their minds as to how to let Asriel down about the truth of this world. They eventually settled on taking control again and moving down the mountain. As awkward as sharing a body might seem, moving with Asriel felt fluid and natural. It reminded Chara of when they tried sawing wood with their dad. The movement from side to side felt effortless, but at the same time, tangible and real.

Chasriel tensed as Chara softly responded to Asriel._ "Soon, Asriel. We're almost there. When we get there, we'll make everything right. I promise."  
_

* * *

"Damn Lemel, another great haul today. I always think the Riviera is picked clean, and you always manage to find something, man. How do you do it?" Daniel readjusted his backpack loaded with canned food, household supplies, and random assortments of medicine before turning to fistbump the very exhausted-looking Lemel. He wanted to tell Daniel that he kept a secret stash of stuff at their old house so that he would always have somewhere to scavenge when he left camp. But doing so would blow the only excuse that he had for leaving the colony at all.

Lemel decided to simply feign ignorance and say "I don't know. I guess I've just always gotten lucky. When you've been doing this as long as I have, you know where to look."

Daniel smiled and threw his head back to the sky. "Well alright, remind me to stick with you then. If we keep running like this my family will be in the colony in no-"

Lemel held their hand up and brought their enthusiastic partner's talking and walking to a halt. Nodding to Daniel that 'this is a moment when you really should shut up', they motioned with their outstretched hand to duck at the side of the road and to hide from whatever was coming through the forest. Lemel thought it was going to be a bear, or some sort of human waiting to ambush them, so was thoroughly shocked to see a six foot, white-haired goat monster emerge from the brush with…a body.

"Oh god, that's….it can't be…Chara!?"

"YOO IS THAT-" Lemel clasped his hand over Daniel's mouth, but it was too late. The goat monster's black eyes turned in their direction as it tried to ascertain the source of that yelling. Feeling Daniel's body shake under his bony hands, he decided to grab him by the forearm and to tear into the forest below rather than taking their chances coming to face-to-face with a real monster.

"BRO-! What are you- ahhh, stop! Let me go, let me go, this shit is steep!" Daniel yelled as they both stumbled towards the lake. He tore his arm free before tripping and performing some genuinely noteworthy acrobatics down the hill. "The hell was that!? I know the world has been nuked to hell and back but damn, we got fuckin' mutants now?"

They reached Lake Drive and the both of them ran towards the camp gates, hoping to get ahead of the monster. Lemel fumbled with his pack and retrieved a bright orange flaregun as he breathlessly tried to explain the situation to Daniel.

"That's…a monster from…the mountain! It's holding my friend…It's holding my dead friend!"

"A monster, what!? Nigga, come on, you can't really expect me to-" With a loud pop, Lemel fired the flare almost straight up into the air. It left behind an orange trail of smoke as it sailed in a clear parabolic arc towards the forest in front of them.

"There's no time to explain. We need to tell the guard NOW. If we don't, this could be the end of everything."

* * *

Chara couldn't remember a time when Camp Buckingham was more loud. From the unmanned gate, Chasriel could hear the yelling of people further inside the camp and the clicking of firearms that certainly couldn't have been used since the apocalypse began. But then again, if a six-foot goat monster wasn't enough of a reason to give away the location of your camp to the entire region, then what was?

Asriel sounded distressed. _"Chara, why is there no one here? We definitely heard and saw people on the way here. But it doesn't seem like anyone's out. Are they all afraid?"_

"_Seems like it."_ Chara said, sounding as unamused as ever as they made Chasriel stride through the makeshift gate and on the short path to the old golf course. Their tone sounded like Chara was remarking about a pet rather than a group of potentially dangerous people. _"Figures. If I were them, I can't say I would have given us a chance either."_

"_Should we go talk to them? You know, to try and explain who we are?"_

Chara scoffed and their voice deepened with cynicism as they remained focused on the path. _"No need."_

Chasriel made their way down the hill just past the gate and approached the clearing where all the main roads of the settlement met, as well as the spot of their fateful encounter with Mother just last year. From their position just before the intersection, they could see a couple of men with rifles at the guard house and a much larger contingent of people gathered towards the camp assembly hall. To their left were the fields, in the process of being prepared for spring crops, and the patch of creamcups that at one point been Chara and Madeline's favorites. Asriel, who was noticeably concerned about the human's level of anxiety but had no reason to know or worry about the dangers of a firearm, tried to keep themselves focused on the mission.

"_Chara, what should we do here? I really think we should try talking to them. They seem pretty scared. And if we just tell them we're friendly, everything will be okay, right?"_

"_Asriel, I told you, it's not that simple. Humans are unpredictable, there is no way to tell if they will attack or hurt us. It's best to just simply…"_

Before Chara could finish, one of the guards noticed Chasriel coming down the hill and brought the AR-15 around his neck to the ready. Upon seeing his partner's violent reaction, the other guard did the same.

Chara's disgust at the two guards caused Chasriel to growl, scarring the guards even more. _"See Asriel? They have no intention in talking at all. So very typical of humans and Mother's men."_

"_Mother!? Chara, what's happening, I don't understand. What are they doing?"_ Asriel said, overwhelmed. A part of them wanted to wrest control of their bodies from Chara, to try and run or defuse this conflict before it got any worse. But Asriel trusted their best friend, just like Chara trusted in them

The second guard, a shorter man with a full beard and fairly messy hair, shook in fear as he tried to communicate to his partner. "Damn, man! What the fuck do you think that is? Some sort of mutated animal? How in the ever-loving fuck is something like this alive?"

"Hey, I-I don't know. But shit, it's got Angeline. I guess she did die for sure." The second taller, slimmer guy said. He then turned his attention to the approaching beast. "Hey, you ugly animal fuck, if you know what's good for you, you'll turn around right the fuck now!" He clicked the safety off the rifle and extended it out to meet Chasriel.

Sensing that Asriel was beginning to lock up from the fear, Chara took stock of their options in their head. As terrified as Asriel was, it was hard to say the fallen child was scared in the slightest. With the incredible power they felt from their merged bodies, Chara knew that these humans couldn't pose a threat to them if they just struck them down first. They strongly considered taking the humans out now, but in the end, decided to play it safe. After all, if the humans initiate, that's all Chara would need to prove their point.

"_Asriel, this is a gun. It's a human weapon designed to kill anyone it's used on. It's very dangerous. But if we just ignore them, we should be able to move on. Just remember what we came here for, okay?"_

"_R-right! You want to be put to rest in the flowers over there! And then we'll…we'll…"_

Chara calmly finished their thought. _"That's right. We'll free everyone."_ Satisfied with Asriel's compliance, Chara turned Chasriel towards the lake to their left, where the patch of creamcups sat undisturbed. As they started to walk away, the two guards began to panic.

"It's still moving, what's it doing, WHAT'S IT DOING!?"

"I don't know! Hell, can it even understand us!? The fuck is bringing a dead child back here supposed to mean!? That shit's a threat, right?"

The guard that was holding his rifle shot three warning shots in the air. The loud bang echoed across all the mountains in the area and caused Chasriel to drop Chara's body as they yipped in fear. The guard who fired the shots then began to furiously run towards the meeting house. "I've fired the warning shots, the entire camp will be here soon. Let's get out of here man, I'm not touching that thing without backup."

"Dude, no, we can't just leave this thing here!" As Chasriel was bending down to pick up Chara's body, the second guard unloaded three rounds into it's back as he too began to backpedal towards the meeting house. Asriel yelled in pain and Chara winced, their shared body temporarily locking up from the shock. But the surprising part is that the unimaginable suffering Chara had envisioned from getting shot only manifested in what felt like a really, really bad cut. Did it hurt? Sure. Stung, even. But they did not feel encumbered in the slightest. They took a few more steps forward and finally placed Chara's body down on the patch of golden flowers.

The other guard, seeing that the monster did not fall after being shot in the back three times, took off for the guard house as well. Chara, boldened by their newfound stamina, decided it was time to make their move.

Asriel felt paralyzed by the pain from the gunshot wound. But they tried their best to remain strong for Chara's sake. He asked. "_Okay Chara, so what do we do now?"_

Chara let their smug expression show on Chasriel's face. _"Now we wait. Sooner or later, they'll come to us."_

And come they did. With only about three minutes passing, a large crowd of people armed to the teeth with guns and other makeshift weapons began appearing from the meeting house. At the front of the pack was her, Mother, with…Madeline in tow?

Chara did a double take. Madeline was alive. Not only that, but Lemel too, whose aloof expression implied that he too was not too happy to be here at this moment. Chara could feel their anxiety casue Chasriel's body to tense under Diane's corrosive glare. It felt as if they would be forced to relive every bad memory, every awful experience that she put them through. Chasriel's hands instinctively started to flare up with fire magic as Chara's emotions became heated.

"_Asriel, this is it!"_ Chara said, their voice growing vengeful and dark as they spoke. A dreadful smile began to form on Chasriel's face, scaring more than a couple of villagers into taking several steps back. _"This is the moment that we save monsterkind. With this power, we can put all of them down! We can take their souls and save the underground. It's that easy."_

Asriel sounded blindsided. Their sudden hesitation even caused Chasriel to back up a bit. _"What!? What are you talking about Chara? That wasn't the plan at all!"_

"_YES IT WAS, ASRIEL!"_ Chara yelled back. _"It was ALWAYS the plan! We need seven souls to break the barrier. You know as well as I do that my one would have never been enough. And if we don't do this now, they WILL kill us first. Is that it!? Do you want to die?"_

"_No! But…But I…I I didn't want this…"_ Asriel could feel himself falling apart, overwhelmed and lost in the face of Chara's incredible emotion. Chara's incredible determination held such a tight grip over their shared body that taking control felt like more work than they could handle. And yet, their pain was apparent to anyone looking. Chasriel was crying. Tears flowed from their black eyes as they confronted the mob of humans that lay before them. And for all of Chara's talk, they could have easily attacked by now, but they didn't.

Across the field, the camp villagers murmured among themselves about the appearance of the otherworldly beast. Some of them look genuinely scared, as if Chasriel was a harbinger of the end times and this was a sign that that the world's rapture would be near. Some of the men in particular looked like they were eager for a good hunt after months of not being able to shoot. And Diane, the most dangerous human of them all, simply eyed Chara's empty husk of a body and Chasriel while she looked on with a disapproving scowl. Madeline, held tight in her grasp, could do little but stare in horror at the events unfolding before her.

Eventually, Diane spoke up. "Madeline, you can feel it too, can't you? The SOUL of that monster."

At first Madeline didn't respond, opting to look down and away and feign ignorance instead of giving Diane the confirmation she wanted. But that action was enough of a confrmation that Diane knew exactly what was going on.

"Rifleman, to arms. Take aim for this monster. Fire on my count." With the order given, any available man with a gun filed to the front, including Lemel. He fumbled with handgun as the more experience marksmen quickly took up their posts.

Sensing the monster's consternation, Madeline tried to appeal for Chasriel's life. "Mother, it's clearly scared. Why do you have to do this? Can't we just let it go?"

Diane responded flatly "And let Angeline and whatever monster she took over destroy this village? Not a chance. There's only one reason that she returned to this village, and if we don't stop her now, this entire world will be at risk. Remember, I'm doing this for you."

"For me…" Madeline looked down again as she contemplated Diane's words. Meanwhile, Chasriel continued to fiercely growl at Diane. It launched the two fireballs in it's hand towards two trees above the group, making them both explode into a burst of flame. Many in the group screamed, but Diane remained where she was, steadfast in the face of all of Chara's sorrow.

Chara was irate. "That bitch, she's using Madeline's power to keep herself calm! Never beneath using her fucking kids and whoever she gets her tainted hands on! Her and everyone else here in this camp are truly beyond redemption and must be punished."

"_Chara, what are you talking about!? I don't understand. Who is that…?"_

Chara's patience was running out as their frustration rose. "_My sister, Asriel! and my fucking mother. Madeline is being held captive. We have to save her and destroy them now!"_ Chara raised their hand to the sky and clouds began to fill in on the spots where the sun once shown. They continued to growl as Diane watched intently.

"_Chara, we can't do that...!"_ Asriel said, managing to find his voice and speak up against Chara. He could feel himself trembling with fear. "We can't kill all of these people just to get our freedom. That wouldn't be right. No one would be happy because of that. Especially not you."

"_AND!? Asriel, do you know what's not right? THIS. FUCK THESE HUMANS, THEY LITERALLY JUST SHOT YOU IN THE BACK! If there was another way to do this, I would, but this is only way we're ever going to get our freedom! And you can't stop me."_ Thunder began to roll in the clouds above, loud and dangerously close to Camp Buckingham. A couple of the guardsmen began to back up.

Lemel watched the sight with tears filling his eyes. "Fuck this monster bastard man, I'm so sorry Chara. I shouldn't have squealed, I shouldn't have given in to her goons. And because I did….!"

Diane's grip on Madeline tightened. She winced in pain, her wrist being squeezed hard enough that she could feel the feeling drain from her small hands. But her power numbed the pain she felt so much that she was able to keep herself from yelling. Meanwhile, Diane overall looked indifferent to her daughter's agony. After all, why should she be concerned with magic that was always hers in the first place? Chara could have sworn she saw her smile slightly before calling "Ready."

The safety switches on all the guns switched off as the marksmen steadied their breathing. Their aggressiveness only served to make Chara feel even more hopeless and enraged. Desperation resonated throughout their entire body as Chasriel took aim at the denizens of Camp Buckingham. _"This planet, the one humans destroyed, is CRAWLING with humans, each more reprehensible than the last. The proof is all around you. If we just let these ones live, it will surely result in the destruction of monsterkind. But killing a few and taking their SOULS would make us gods. We'd be unstoppable! Anyone who stands in the way of our freedom could be wiped away! No one would be allowed to hurt us again and we could finally live in peace in the world we've always desired! Asriel, Why can't you accept that!?"_

Asriel could feel how overwhelmed and miserable Chara was. Knowing that he had a chance to try and turn the tide, he continued to press on in the hopes that he could save his best friend. _"No Chara! I can't! I can't do this. If we kill these humans, we'll start another war with them. Then monsters and humans will never know peace. There has to be another way!"_

"_NO! I'm NOT letting this immense power go to waste!" That woman, that demon cosplaying as human MUST pay for her crimes. And I WILL be the one to do it! Humanity is guilty and if we are to survive, THEY ALL MUST DIE!"_ Chara brought their hand forward, and large exclamation points formed on the ground under Diane's party. It was their only warning that they would have before the Shocker Breaker decimated them all.

Asriel, feeling the attack on both sides to be imminent, didn't let up. He, for the first time, could feel the determination grow in their newfound SOUL to save Chara from an existence of suffering and sadness. He hurriedly tried to say whatever he could before it was too late. "_Chara…even Madeline? Even your friends…? Them too?"_

"_SHUT UP! NOTHING YOU SAY COULD EVER STOP ME NOW! I MUST….I have to…."_

Sensing a moment of weakness, Asriel wrested control of Chasriel from Chara and looked towards a scared and crying Lemel and then the absolutely distraught Madeline at Diane's side. Fully prepared to fight for control of their body, Chara stumbled at seeing Lemel's regret on his face and Madeline, their only surviving family, suffering in the grasp of her Mother. The sight of her, looking as if she wanted nothing more than this hell to end, triggered a feeling in Chara that they had been repressing since they surfaced. They couldn't ignore the pain of their friends anymore. They couldn't ignore Madeline anymore.

In that moment, it felt as if time stopped. The memories of the days they spent together, the times they cried, or laughed, or depended on their love when it felt like nothing else in the world was on their side sapped any will Chara had to hurt them any further. For one brief moment, all Chara wanted was to see their sister smile again. To enjoy a future where they could both be happy in the place they had found together. It broke their vengeful spirit and gave Asriel the assurance that they would be able to save everyone that day.

"_Chara…let's go home. To the place we belong."_

_"Asriel…! You stubborn fool…!"_

"FIRE!"

In that moment, a hail of gunfire assaulted Chasriel from all corners of their vision, making them writhe in pain as their body absorbed the lead from all sides. For nearly a full minute, it felt as if Chasriel were being burned alive by the fires of hell itself. But even this pain wasn't enough to keep Chasriel from rising to their feet and retrieving Chara's body from the creamcup patch, now covered in the sticky dust of the slowly decaying monster. Their body collected flowers and seeds from the ground as it left, making Chara's dirty green and yellow shirt appear gold from the flowers.

As Chasriel walked away, they could hear the astonishment of the crowd as they commented on how the abomination continued to move. Lemel, who had tried to keep it together to carry out his orders, sobbed as he could no longer maintain the façade of supporting Diane. Diane ordered the gunmen to reload and fire at will. And amidst the hail of gunfire, Chasriel swore that they could have heard something.

Still tight in her mother's grip, Madeline yelled at Chasriel as she began to finally cry. "Oh Chara! I love you! I love you and I miss you and I always have and I always will! I'll be okay! I promise. So until we can meet again someday, please…! Oh Chara, I'm so sorry…!"

Chasriel stopped for a brief second after hearing Madeline's cry, and then continued to walk away without turning around. The men of the village continued to fire on the monster as they retreated, but there wasn't a shot that could bring it down again.

Chara and Asriel were silent the entire way home. Upon making it back to the barrier, Chasriel stumbled forward before collapsing, almost immediatedly beginning to turn into dust from the sustained damage done to them from the humans. Chara bodied rolled across the floor before coming to a stop directly across from Asriel.

In his final moments, Chasriel smiled. _"Now Chara…now we'll be together forever. With everyone who's always loved you. Aren't you happy?"_

Chara, in their very last second of shared cognition, only had one thing to say.

"_You idiot."_

* * *

_Ebott Castle  
Grand Ebott City  
Thursday, May 2, 2120, 9:06 AM_

Asgore never quite got used to waking up in a castle. For most of his life, he lived in a modest house living a modest life. Even amidst the bustle of New Home, he never longed for more than what his California King bed offered him. So now that he lived in an ornate, sun-drenched room at the top of the castle, he felt as if the room would always be a little out of place for him.

Asgore's favorite part about the room, however, was it's balcony. Doors on every wall led outside to a grand balcony overlooking the entire Kingdom, and while the height of the castle still paled in comparison to the city buildings that surrounded the island, Asgore still enjoyed starting his day drinking a warm cup of tea while admiring the city and the sunrise. This morning, like every morning, Asgore sat among the flowers and vines he had planted at the balcony's edge and caught up on the reports from the day's previous news. This could have continued for quite some time, before Royal Guards 01 and 02 requested permission to enter Asgore's room.

RG 01 called over the room's intercom to Asgore's tablet, sounding as chill as ever. "Your majesty, this is, like 01 and 02, requesting to enter the royal suite, sir."

Asgore's face lit up at the prospect of visitors. "Ah! Lop and Draco! How wonderful! Please, come in. You can find me on the balcony." He turned around to offer a warm smile to the duo, who opened the door and took some time admiring the size of Asgore's new bedroom. He tried his best to retain his chuckles when RG 02 made a comment remarking about the location of the bathroom. "What can I do for you two on this fine day?" he continued.

"Like, we're here to update you on some stuff that didn't make it in the briefing today. The….committee and stuff have been busy."

"…statue's almost done." Draco said, quiet and succinct as usual. There comment seemed to be the brain jolt that Lop needed, as he brought his fist down into his hand in surprise and continued.

"Right! Like, the Asriel fountain will be done in time. They're putting the finishing touches on now….and the water will follow soon."

"…stage setup is also complete."

"That too! They've like…been working overtime and stuff."

Asgore smiled and felt himself relax a little at being able to hear some good news. "That is wonderful, you two! I know we have all been a bit distracted with everything that has been happening recently, but it is equally important that monsters remember to keep having fun. Is Frisk around to help as well?"

"Ummm….actually" RG 01 said, scratching his head. "I think…Frisk isn't in the castle, your highness."

"…went to mt. ebott…not back yet."

"Yeah! Like, Dogamy and Doagressa confirm they left the island."

Asgore sounded puzzled. "Well, I guess they had some business to attend to there. That is fine, all citizens are allowed free movement between the island and the mountain, after all."

"…more…there's a letter."

"Oh?" Asgore raised a furry eyebrow. As if visitors wasn't enough. Draco stepped forward and pulled a letter out from underneath his armor. Lop begin to wiggle a little at Draco's display of callousness.

Under his breath, Lop said to Draco "bro, you actually kept that in there!?" before remembering he was in mixed presence. He apologized to the King, saying "Sorry sir! This letter…like, came in this morning. It was dropped off by a citizen. Another bunny…but…I can't…"

"It is quite alright, Lop. The sender may be listed in the contents. It is not important if they were not identified." Asgore said, trying to reassure his hard-working guard. Using the tip of his nail, he cut the letter open and fished out the trifolded paper in the envelope. As he read it, the color began to drain from his face and his expression dropped from his usual cherry self to one of great concern.

Asgore huffed, folded up the letter and slid it within his pants pocket. "01 and 02, I am leaving the castle. Please prepare my armor and have a private train called to the station. Under no circumstance are you to tell anyone of my whereabouts, is that clear?"

"Y-yes sir!...sir." The two guards sputtered. They saluted their king and scurried away as they began their preparations. Now in private, Asgore furrowed his brown and began to consider his situation.

Toriel had been kidnapped and the assailant requested that Asgore come alone to the Ruins to get her. What could he do?

* * *

_Gerson Town  
Thursday, May 2, 2120, 12:18 PM_

It had been awhile since Toriel had gotten out.

With the help of Professor Woshua and a few other teachers, she had the pleasure of leading the youngest of children at The Ebott School around the environs surrounding Mt. Ebott. Most of these children would have been too young to fondly remember the underground for what it was, and Toriel decided that taking a day or two to show them what the mountain was like today would be worth their time. After all, just as much as Grand Ebott City was their home, Mt. Ebott and the underground were as well. They had just finished touring around Gerson Town when their group finally reached the entrance to the underground.

Stepping in front of the crowd of rowdy kids, Toriel clasped her hands together and brandished a smile so bright it could light the sky. "So everyone, now that we've seen all we can see in Gerson Town, where does that mean we head next?"

"The underground!" The monster kids excitedly responded.

"Excellent! Now, remember your travel rules. Make sure you find your buddy. And always remember to stay in pairs, no matter what. Professor Woshua, if you could please."

"Yes Lady Toriel! Remember everyone, green means clean! Make sure to keep your green wristbands on at all times!"

Looking on the group of rowdy children, Toriel couldn't help but be happy at how monsterkind had flourished over the past five years. Raising a new generation of monsters that were full of hope and joy was a fulfillment that she could have never imagined, and her time as a teacher had brought back feelings that she hadn't experienced since she was a very young girl. To think that she could be a part of this all on the surface truly was the best outcome possible.

She was about to call them all inside the mountain when, out of nowhere, there was an earthquake.

It only lasted for a second, but for that second, Toriel wobbled with the rest of Gerson Town and was shaken to her core. The town was constructed on the side of Mt. Ebott for the monsters after their ascension, but the speed of its construction as well as its dubious location made it one of the few places she wouldn't want to be in an earthquake. The birds that had been living in the forest around them took off for the sky as the world shook, and worrying about the birds of her own, Toriel looked around to make sure that all of the children from the school were accounted for.

Admist the group of screaming children, Toriel tried to take stock of the situation. "Is everyone alright? it felt like we had a little shake, but everything should be fine."

"N-nothing to wosh here! Come now child!" Professor Woshua said, trying to comfort a crying Loox.

Toriel sighed, and decided to walk back to the head of the Town near the train station to try and figure things out. Tense and a little anxious from having any event derail her field trip, she forces a smile for Royal Guards 03 and 04, who both look overwhelmed in their booth as calls flood in from the underground.

"Gerson Town Guard Booth, this is RG 04 speaking…what!? A new monster? Ugh, please hold. Gerson Town Guard Booth, RG 04…what do you mean there was no electricity? The electricity has never stopped...?"

"Gerson Town, RG 03…hm….hmmmmm…..no, we haven't done anything….what?"

Toriel cleared her throat and pretended to look like she was impatiently waiting for her two eccentric guards to finish up. The moment they both saw her, they dropped their tablets and immediatedly snapped to attention.

"L-Lady Toriel!"

"Hi, yes, hello you two." Toriel said quickly. "Could you tell me if everything is alright in the underground?"

"Ummmmm…more like the opposite…" Royal Guard 03 managed to say. They scrolled through the incoming reports with their free mantis claw while trying to respond to the former queen. "It…sounds…like there's a lot of new monsters down there."

Royal Guard 04 wiggled her cat ears as she talked. "Yes, Lady Toriel! People are saying that monsters they've never seen before or haven't seen in a long time are appearing everywhere, and that there's considerable damage in Snowdin."

Toriel frowned. Maybe this wasn't going to be the best day to go into the underground after all. She said "Thank you, you two. That will be all." and walked back to the group deep in thought.

Toriel decided to consider her options. Taking the children in now would surely result in a lot of complications, especially if there was relief work to be done underground. But what better chance for the children to see their country in action than to see it in a time like this? Even then, taking children in after a disaster may be too much of a risk and it was her job to protect them…

"…Toriel…! Lady Toriel! Please!"

"Huh!? Oh, sorry, Professor Woshua." Toriel snapped back to real life to face the professor and a high school-aged fire girl with him. Wearing her displeasure at being bothered plain on her face, she plainly said "What is it?"

Fuku Flame stepped forward. "Lady Toriel! I'm sorry to bother you, but there's been an emergency!" Fuku said, breathing hard as she spoke. Did she run here? She was dressed in her school uniform, but the high school students should be back in the city. When regained her composure, she continued. "The Earthquake has shaken some rocks loose in the Ruins and trapped a couple of monsters! We need your help and all the help we can get!"

"Fuku Flame, yes? You are Grillby's daughter, if I presume correctly? Why my help?"

Always polite, she responded. "Yes ma'am, I am! His only pride and joy! I was here running some errands here when the earthquake happened. And we need you because there aren't any other capable monsters around here. After all, most of the guards are in the city now, and…well…"

Fuku Flame trailed off in an effort to not be disrespectful. She wiggled her hand with embarrassment as she spoke, but lucky for her, Toriel came to her rescue. She let out a deep sigh and headed for the entrance to the underground. At least now she could scope things out on her own.

"Fine. I'll go take a look at how things are in there. Professor, please take the children home for today. I do not think I will be back in time to conduct a tour."

Toriel disappeared into the cave to the whines of her children, and as soon as she left, Fuku slipped away from the crowd and slid down the side of the building next to her, taking a massive sigh of relief as she hit the ground in the forested mountain below. She was SUPER worried at first about being able to convince the queen to return to the underground. Like her father, she wasn't known for her ability to lie. But now that she had, everything was in place for their plan to go off perfectly. Once the children had moved away, she turned on her communicator and relayed the message to the group. Claw was ready.

* * *

_Snowdin  
The Underground  
__Thursday, May 2, 2120, 2:45 PM_

The walk through Snowdin had been a weird one for Asgore. Expecting to find a desolate underground, populated by maybe a couple of remaining stragglers, Asgore walked into a new home filled to the brim with citizens, some he hadn't legitimately seen in decades. But that wasn't even the weirdest part: when asked about what they were doing here, a lot of the monsters would say things like "What do mean? It's not like we have anywhere else to go" or "This is my home, for now. Maybe one day we'll reach the surface." as if nothing had happened over the past five years at all. Matter of fact, it seems like none of the new monsters living in the underground had any recollection of current events at all.

Asgore struggled to wrap his head around it. What could all this have meant? The underground is relatively small; there's no way that someone wouldn't have heard about a human freeing them all after 1,000 years of captivity. It also wasn't possible that scans of the caves or sweeps conducted by the royal guard would miss this many people, even if they were a little lax at their jobs. And this didn't even begin to factor in the Queen's reported kidnapping, which no one had any knowledge of. Even the guards in Gerson Town didn't see anyone like that enter the underground. The dilemma left only one thought in his mind: could someone have been using necromancy…? There's no way…

Asgore approached the doors to the Ruins, a place he hadn't personally entered in over 100 years, to find that it had caved in on itself after the earthquake. "No problem." he thought. Clearing rocks would be easy for the Kingdom's strongest monster. He spent a minute sizing up exactly what he should do before turning around and summoning his trident. What wouldn't be easy for the Kingdom's strongest monster, however, would be dealing with a less than amused Toriel, who was standing right behind him.

An apologetic grin swept Asgore's flushed face. He stammered his greeting at Toriel. "AH! Wow, y-yes, what a surprise this is, haha…"

Toriel didn't even wait to give him the time of day. She promptly and sternly spun on her heel and began to angrily stomp away, leaving deep, defined indents in the snow. Her face full of anger and disgust, it was clear that she had no intention of stopping for Asgore again.

"Wait, Toriel, please!" Asgore pleaded with an outstretched hand. "You saw it too, right? On your way here. Something-!"

"Oh, spare me your drivel, Asgore!" Toriel sharply snapped back, still not having turned around. Even after all these years, her vitriolic tone still felt like needles in Asgore's SOUL. "The only thing that's clear about all of this is that you called me all the way back here to make some…vain pass at me. I was a fool for leaving my kids behind."

Asgore could hear her voice choke a bit. But he didn't want to stop trying to tell her the truth. "I did not call you, I promise! Whoever called you here was not me."

Toriel spun around again, shocking Asgore and making him back up a couple of steps to keep his distance. Tears welled in her eyes, but the sting of betrayal hurt more than any discomfort she could have been feeling right now. Asgore noticed that her hands were red from the heat of her magic and hoped he wouldn't be the target of her fireballs.

"Asgore, please! Spare me today of all days, please. As if walking here was not hard enough, with all of these ghosts around, do you want me to relive this too!?"

"I swear on the throne, I was not the one who called you here. This morning, I received a letter that you had been taken to the end of the Ruins. I set out to save you, not to trick you." Asgore face softened as he tried to be sincere with Toriel. She looked like she hated every second of it but let him continue. "You have never known me to be a liar. I would not start now. So please, I beg of you to forgive me."

Toriel let out a deep sigh. Walking here through the crowd of monsters had been a surreal experience for her, and not a pleasant one. When she emerged from the ruins on Ascension Day, enough time had passed that only the older group of monsters knew who she was, and even if they did, few of them held any contempt towards her for what happened all those years ago. But now, walking through the streets of New Home especially, she was met with hostility and anger in what used to be their old home. The experience unearthed long forgotten scars that she had once repressed, and seeing Asgore after being forced to relive these painful memories was more than she could handle.

Toriel's face still burned with anger. "You have **no** idea what it was like, to have to walk back here through a crowd of monsters who detested me to only find you here. I was told that a child was trapped deep in the ruins, but it looks like the only child who's trapped here is you, Asgore."

"That is it, the monsters!" Asgore said, trying to keep the situation under control. "These monsters, it feels like they have been resurrected from a certain point in the past. None of them are aware of anything that is happened recently. And I think if we can get into the ruins, we may be able to get to the bottom of this. I need your help, Toriel. Will you join me?"

Toriel sighed and walked forward. Asgore, freezing from her sudden action, was simply elbowed out of the way as she summoned two blazing fireballs and let them unleash on the rocks blocking the doorway. The fire was so intense it melted the snow on the path, and the force of the explosion easily cleared away anything that could have been in their way. Upon seeing that the job was done, Toriel took a deep breath and began to trudge her way back to Snowdin, ignoring Asgore as she passed.

Curious about the turn of events, Toriel considered for a brief moment if it was worth entering the ruins, her safe space, with Asgore. But the idea of even spending that long along with him was enough to make her skin crawl. More than anything, Toriel was exhausted from the emotional strain of the journey and just wanted to go home. Before reaching the bridge, she turned one last time and said "If you want to look into this, go ahead. But anything that happens in this kingdom is no longer any of my concern. Farewell, Asgore."

"What if our kids are in there?"

Toriel stopped in her tracks. He could feel her frustration from dozens of feet away. She was slow and deliberate as she spoke, hands in fists again. "What did you say, Asgore?"

"This may be a long shot, and I don't even know if it is going to be true. But our kids may be inside the ruins. If they are…they are going to need us. Both of us."

Toriel was silent for a long time as she mulled over Asgore's words. Anguish marked her settling face as she debated the merits of accompanying him to the end. Asgore's nose became wet with sweat as he anxiously waited for her decision. He felt awful for saying it, for even bringing it up, but the more he proceeded through the underground, the more he couldn't shake the feeling that his kids were alive. If these monsters had made it back, wouldn't his kids have reappeared too?

After what felt like a full minute of silence, Toriel calmly began to walk back towards the ruins, stepping over the rubble as she made her way back to their old house. "Follow me." she said, nodding in the direction of the ruins before turning and focusing on the path ahead of her. Asgore cleaned himself up and made after her as she entered.

The entire walk back to the beginning of the ruins was filled with painful memories for Toriel. Memories of being trapped here for 100 years, of escorting six children through layers of monsters and traps only to be killed by the murderer who now trailed her every step. Memories of her living alone in an oversized house, and memories of her laying in grief over the grave of her dead child. The Ruins were never a happy place for Toriel, and while Asgore certainly had unpleasant memories of being here, the paled in comparison to what Toriel had to unpack every time she walked these halls. She had to keep reminding herself: she was doing this for her kids. Nothing on this planet would keep her away from them.

And sure enough, it seemed destined that they were to be reunited once more.

The sun shone through the hole at the top of the room, illuminating the patch of creamcups that had grown there for over 100 years. Birds could be heard chirping in the forest above, and every now and then, a breeze would sweep through the cave, rustling the vines and the flowers with the quiet kiss of spring. On the center mound of the flower patch lay Chara and Asriel, the two kids she had left behind so long ago. The children reacted to her presence, rubbing their sleepy eyes and rising up from the bed to see who was there, but neither of them would be given a chance to see who it was before the Dreemurrs sprinted to embrace their children. Toriel, who could no longer hold back her tears, bawled as she held Asriel to her shoulder. Asgore, for the first time in a long time, let himself cry as he held Chara in his hands again.

One thought had been present in both of their minds on the walk here: what if all of this was fake? What if these monsters really were just ghosts, apparitions brought back to fool them both? What if they were to find their children and they were simply spirits that couldn't be reached, ethereal bodies that couldn't be touched? But none of that mattered now. For the first time in over one hundred years, Toriel and Asgore could touch and smell and hear and embrace their children. This was no dream. The Dreemurr family had finally been reunited.

* * *

A/N - Sorry for the month-long wait folks! This was a long one.

This chapter is a mostly by-the-numbers retelling of events in Undertale, so I never expected it to end up as long as it did. But the more I wrote, the more I realize I wanted to ham it up for as much impact as possible! After all, the actions that happened on that fateful day change the story forever, and I wanted to give it the narrative weight it deserves. I hope everyone didn't mind.

Also, the royal guard continues to expand! The more I think about how stretched thin the royal guard must be, the more I think "Gosh, I really need more characters!" So I lucked out with RG 03 and RG 04. The pair are unused characters from Undertale and thus aren't technically OCs. But, I know a lot of people haven't heard of them, so it's worth talking about.

The next chapter may take a little longer because I'm working on workshopping some work I'm submitting to Deltastuck (more on that later!), but you can definitely expect a September update. Until then, keep cool, and thank you all so so so much for reading with me up to this point. I'm so happy that people are finding my work enjoyable and fun. I hope we can continue to all enjoy it together!

Thank you to semi-professional illustrator and musician Goomy ( irlgoomy on twitter!) for proofreading my work! Goomy is working on a MSPA-style adventure comic called Deltastuck ( deltastuck on twitter!) and if you enjoy this fanfic, you'll definitely enjoy it's work. Check it out!


	16. Intermission: Escape

_New Home  
The Underground  
Spring 2020_

It was well past bedtime in New Home. The vents in the mountain that occasionally let in natural light had long since gone dark, and in its place were the flickering magical lamps that dotted New Home's narrow streets. While there were some nighttime haunts that usually attracted a crowd, the cobblestone alleys of New Home often were silent and gray at this time of the night.

But not tonight. Tonight, the streets couldn't be more alive with activity if they tried.

This was Toriel's second day of being locked in her room. Theoretically, she could spend the rest of her life in here. It wasn't like she needed to eat. But with every passing day, she felt more and more like it didn't matter where she was; there was nowhere in the underground where she could be safe anymore. You see, two days ago, Asgore, in a fit of rage and indignation Toriel had never seen before, even in their one thousand years of existence together, declared war on all of humanity. Never mind how he planned to carry out this impossible endeavor, never mind how many people her husband had planned to kill to ensure his planetary dominance, Asgore was terrifyingly steadfast in his desire to ensure that a single monster would never die again.

His proclamation stirred the population up into a frenzy. The New Home Library, one of the largest collection of works on human culture, saw it's plaza in flames as New Home residents busied themselves burning anything that could shed humans in a positive light. And from her window she could see groups of people forming in the streets, signing up for citizen guards, swearing their allegiance to the Kingdom of Monsters, and promising to capture any human who tried to set foot in their domain. Asgore's anger had become the population's anger, and because of that, the underground now found itself in the midst of a cultural revolution.

That left Toriel increasingly isolated in a city succumbing to anti-human hysteria. Toriel figured that there might be some allies left out there, some monsters who still held on to the idea of monster-human equality. But they would be impossible to find from her room. Stepping outside now would be the same as suicide. After her and Asgore's very public fight and meltdown had gotten out to the public, it was now known to all that the Queen of All Monsters was an apparent enemy of the state. Even with her considerable power, making it out of new home would not come without considerable casualties, something she was not comfortable accepting.

So she curled up in her bed, covers pulled over her heads and hands on her ears to block out the cacophony below. She felt emotionally absent; a day of crying had left her only empty of tears and a sense of overwhelming physical exhaustion. And the true fear, the one that kept her from sleeping at night, is that every day, _he_ would come home to _her _house, walk through _her_ hallways, and fall asleep in a room only a wall away. The fact that she had to exist so closely to Asgore terrified her to the point of inaction, and her frustration at her circumstances were only tempered by her grief at losing her two children.

She was so caught up in her pain that it took her several seconds to notice knocking at her window. Worried that she was about to come face to face with some mob, she shot to the other side of her bed, letting her hands flare with whatever magic she had left in her. But instead of being a foe, it a was friend; Vice Captain Grillby was standing at her window.

"Vice Captain Grillby!? What are you doing here? Have you come to arrest me for sedition?" Toriel remained squished at the back of the room, her nose wet from the anxiety of having anyone associated with Asgore showing up at the window.

Grillby looked over his shoulder, ensuring that no one was watching his movements, and motioned for Toriel to open the window. Shocked at his suggestion, she instinctively nodded, but Grillby's soft eyes and worried experession was enough to make her reconsider. She checked that the door to the hallway was still locked and tiptoed over to the window. Once she unlatched it, she cracked it enough that she could hear what Grillby was saying. He wasted no time in starting his explanation.

"Your majesty, you're in danger here. You need to leave, now."

"Wha…? Wait, you're here to rescue me, not to capture me?"

"Precisely." The fire monster looked over his shoulder again before anxiously turning back to meet Toriel's worried gaze. "But we don't have much time. The guard will change soon. Also, Asgore's meeting with Captain Gerson is going to end soon. This is my only chance left to get you out of here."

Toriel's expression became awash with relief. "Oh Grillby, thank you so much! I was beginning to worry I would have to spend the rest of my existence in this room."

"Well, I hate to disappoint you, but the place I have in mind isn't much better. But regardless, this house isn't safe. The monsters know where you live, they – sooner or later, they'll be here. We have to make sure you're not when that happens."

Toriel opened the window all the way and began to climb over the sill. Her abruptness shocked Grillby, who backed up to make sure Toriel wouldn't smother him on her way out. He was grateful that she was immune to his flames. "Well, let us go. I don't want us to waste another second in this house if we can help it."

"Wait!" Grillby said worriedly. "Don't you want to gather your effects? Or anything you'll need?'

Toriel looked back but quickly nodded, dismissing the idea of spending another second in that house. The comforts of her previous home would only serve as a reminder to the pain she had to endure here. She wanted to carry none of that baggage with her as she left it all behind. She was about to tell Grillby when she remembered one thing she wanted to get.

"Actually Grillby, there is one thing I need to get before I leave. But I will need your help."

Despite all the odds, and Grillby's vehement protest, the two soon found themselves sneaking through New Castle, hiding behind hallway corners and ducking behind columns as the two made their way to the crypt where Chara's body was being held. The plan was simple: get in to the castle unannounced, make it past the guard to the catacomb, and then to use the express elevator stack in the castle to go straight to the bottom of New Home. Making it in had been easy enough. But getting out would no doubt prove to be much harder.

Eventually the two reached the corridor connecting the grand hallway to the throne room and the catacombs below. Grillby, still in his royal guard uniform, pretended to keep watch over the entrance to the crypt while Toriel made her way down the stars to Chara's coffin.

The crypt was designed to hold the dust of monsters that had performed service to the Kingdom of Monsters, and along the wall were rows of decorated bins that served as final resting places for many of the kingdom's greatest heroes. It was weird to see a full child-size coffin at the center of all, and even weirder to see her mummified baby wrapped up and laying inside.

The more Toriel looked at her dead child, the more a series of complicated emotions welled up inside her. She stroked the side of Chara's face as tears rolled down her cheek and onto the sheets covering Chara's head. A part of her shared in Asgore's anguish, and face to face with the reality of the world, it was easy to understand why his fury manifested the way it did. But to swear to kill any human who fell in the underground, to declare war on humanity meant that Asgore was perfectly content with replicating this kind of suffering in the families of both humans and monsters across the globe. And for the past two days, all she could think was 'If my child had fallen down in the underground right now, my husband would have killed him with delight." Remembering that thought alone made Toriel pick up Chara's body without any hesitation. Her child deserved to rest somewhere better than in this castle full of hate and malice.

Surprisingly bulky from decomposition, Toriel waddled at first as they tried to find a way to hold Chara's increasingly delicate body. She had finally found her stride when she realized that Grillby had been stopped at the top of the stairs.

"Oh Great." She muttered. "It's Doge."

"Vice Captain Grillby, it's a pleasure to see you tonight." The basset hound monster said. Looking as devoted to her work as ever, she gripped her spear with her right paw as she saluted Grillby with her left. "According to the guard schedules issues by Captain Gerson, I'm supposed to be taking over this guard spot for the night shift. Don't you usually work daytime, sir? You're free to go home."

"Ahh, yes, t-that's right!" Grillby said, faltering in his words as he stepped closer to the center of the door frame. Grillby was many things but a liar unfortunately wasn't one of them. He tried to maintain his composure as he continued. "Because of the unrest tonight, I received some extra orders to patrol around the castle. I have this spot covered for now, if you want to continue with your sweep for a while longer."

Doge's eyes tightened. "Really, Vice Captain? I haven't received any orders of the sort. When were they sent out?"

"Today! At the guard meeting. It was only for leaders though, so it makes sense why you wouldn't know it."

"But you just said that I should have heard about it already…"

"Right! So I'm here telling you. Right now. Here's your orders!"

Toriel would have facepalmed if she didn't have a body in her hands. Doge sniffed around and tried to peer down into the catacombs before Grillby just ever so slightly shifted his body. That, however, was enough to raise Doge's suspicions.

"Vice Captain Grillby, it smells like Toriel has descended into the catacombs you're guarding. Have you seen her? You know that area is off-limits, even to her."

"I can't say that I have, Doge. It's possible she may have passed by before I got here. Maybe you should look around?" Grillby subtly caused the reach of his flames to increase in the hopes that he could burn off Toriel's scent. However, Toriel knew that she didn't have much time left.

"No sir, with all due respect, it smells like she came down the Judegement Hall and then went straight into the catacombs. She may be down there. If she is, we need to stop her." Doge brought their spear down to suggest that she was serious about her suggestion. Grillby couldn't be stabbed, so she posed little of a threat to him, but if they were to fight in this hallway, getting tried for Treason would be the least of his worries. Toriel decided that she wasn't going to let that happen.

"That's…"

Before Grillby could implicate himself, Toriel dashed past them, pushing Grillby out of the way and firing a couple of fireballs towards the both of them, of which Grillby absorbed and Doge easily blocked. When they both saw her dashing towards the elevator bank with Chara's body in tow, Grillby's expression dropped while Doge's eyes widened at the sight she was seeing.

Doge was now excited and could no longer be settled down. "Toriel! Toriel! There she is! I have to go warn the king! She's looting the castle!"

"Shit!" Grillby stepped past Doge as he tried to catch up with Toriel, who was already jamming the buttons to the elevator by the time he got there. When it arrived, they rushed in and Grillby created a fire wall between them and the door. "Toriel, it's time for you to go. Just remember what we planned. Go to the Ruins, shut the door, and under no circumstances do you let anyone in."

Toriel's breathing was heavy. Overwhelmed by the situation but full of enough adrenaline to keep her going, she nodded towards Grillby and mentally tried to prepare herself for the fight ahead. Too exhausted to do so now, she made a mental note that if she were to ever see Grillby again, she *needed* to rib him for his awful lying.

When the elevator opened, the two of them dashed down the main street towards the elevator bank leading to Hotland. What was once a hallmark of good city planning had suddenly become their enemy; the wide street meant that monsters in restaurants and bars and monsters in their homes could watch as their Queen fled through the streets of New Home. Already, some of the more agitated monsters began to form up behind them and chase them down the street.

"So this…is what it means…to stand…against the people's hope!" Toriel said between breaths. Holding Chara tight against her chest made running even harder than it usually was for the mother, and it took nearly all she had to grit her teeth and to push forward step by step. Grillby was much more slim and toned for this kind of work, in comparison, and often looked over his shoulder to ensure they were a good distance away from the furious crowd.

"This war is giving them hope that one day this nightmare will end. To be against the destruction of humanity has now come to mean to be for the destruction of monsterkind, and I'm afraid a lot of people can't cope with that anymore. When you get to the ruins, you're going to find a lot of people like you who fled for their safety. Among them, you'll be safe, my queen."

The two reached the elevator bank to Hotland and Grillby fumbled around in his pocket to find the master set of elevator keys for the entire kingdom. Knowing the crowd would make it to them before the elevator did, Toriel surrounded the entire bank in a ring of intense fire, buying them some time to make their escape. Terrified by the indignant shouting of the monsters outside, Toriel shunted into the elevator and placed Chara's body down before coming outside to embrace Grillby for everything he's done.

Grillby, a fire monster, was not used to being touched by anyone, let alone a member of royalty. He fought his instinct to back up and tried to let him enjoy this brief moment of intimacy. Toriel was warm, not in a way that he or his fire was, but had a warmth that made his entire body feel at peace. He blushed a dark red flame before passing the elevator keys onto Toriel.

"Here. I've set it so that these elevators can only be operated by a royal guard's sets of keys. This way, no one will be able to follow you. You should be safe once you reach Waterfall."

Toriel looked genuinely thankful as her heart filled with her first taste of freedom. "Grillby, I can not thank you enough. Thank you so much for saving me and Chara. But, what about you? What will you do?"

Grillby offered Toriel his signature, reassuring smile that he was known for the underground over. She envied how easygoing he could be, especially now of all times. "I'll be okay. I'm going to cover for you and escape the capital myself. Maybe to Hotland. I know a guy there that will keep me company."

Toriel smiled her first genuine smile in days, before she was forced to retreat in to the elevator by her falling fire barrier. She jammed the keys into the elevator slot before taking one last look at Grillby between the closing doors. On the verge of tears, she said "Please be safe Grillby. I am sure we will meet again someday."

The last thing Toriel saw of New Home was Grillby's smiling face as the mob closed in on him. The elevator ride was long, and the four minutes or so that Toriel spent on it was enough time for Toriel to regain her composure and to prepare herself for the journey ahead. Walking through the fires of Hotland, the water of Waterfall, and the Ice of Snowdin felt like a retelling of the journey she had taken as a young woman a millenia ago, the journey of her broken people retreating into Mt. Ebott as far as they could possibly manage. It was ironic to her that instead of a fear of humans motivating her, it was a fear of monsters instead. And just like back then, in such a short amount of time, Toriel had lost her home, her family, and her people all over again.

When she reached the ornate purple doors that separated the ruins from the rest of the underground, she was greeted by two Froggits who were waiting on her arrival outside. As she passed with Chara in her hand, they bowed and proceeded to close the doors behind her, locking them from the inside with a magic seal and cutting them off from the outside world forever. It was in the moment that Toriel crossed the threshold that she finally made up her mind. Nothing would stop her anymore. She would remain with her child in the ruins forever.

* * *

A/N - Suprise! This won't be a regular occurrence. I try to keep my chapters to under 10,000 words, and the outro for the last chapter made everything too long. So here we are.

I've always been a huge fan of the "Toriel was forced out of the capital" theory because I think it adds a lot of interesting context to her story. She could have entirely made the escape alone, but Grillby is just too interesting of a character to not do anything with. This was a very self-indulgent chapter, but hopefully no one minds~

Thank you to semi-professional illustrator and musician Goomy ( irlgoomy on twitter!) for proofreading my work! Goomy is working on a MSPA-style adventure comic called Deltastuck ( deltastuck on twitter!) and if you enjoy this fanfic, you'll definitely enjoy it's work. Check it out!


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